Everything
by Ultimate Queen of Cliffies
Summary: He removed his hat and bowed his head; and Elphaba knew what he was going to say before the words even left his mouth. "I am very sorry, Milady," he said. "The king is dead." She was alone. She was a green girl without the man who loved her. A queen without her king. And soon she would be a mother without the father of her child. AU. Fiyeraba.
1. Nights spent in the dark

**AN: I'm just going to warn you all beforehand: this story will most likely be even darker than Always There is about to become. As in, it deals with attempted suicide at some point early on in the story. You've been warned.**

**Other than that... it might start out a bit vague and confusing, but things will become clearer as the story progresses. Those of you who have read my original story might recognise some themes and small things... I put everything I thought of, but dismissed, for my original story in here, so... :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1. Nights spent in the dark<strong>

Elphaba was lying in the large bed in the master bedroom, curled up on her side with her arms wrapped around her waist, cradling her swollen stomach. She was staring at the wall without really seeing anything.

"My queen?"

Slowly, she raised her gaze to rest upon the face of the general standing in front of her. He slowly removed his hat and bowed his head; and Elphaba knew what he was going to say before the words even left his mouth.  
>"I am very sorry, Milady," he said formally. "The king is dead."<p>

Her gaze drifted back down and to the side, away from the general to be trained on the wall once more. There was a fly on the wall, she noted absently. A small, black spot with tiny paws and transparent wings. It was crawling up higher, trying to reach the ceiling. She wondered why it didn't just fly. Maybe it was too stupid to realise that it would reach the ceiling faster by flying than by crawling all the way up.

She wished that she could fly, too.

"My queen?" the general prodded when she didn't respond.

Her eyes flicked towards his face again for a moment before re-focusing on the fly on the wall.

"Milady, are you feeling quite alright?"

She would have rolled her eyes, but she was too exhausted and drained for that.

"You just told me that my husband is dead," she said flatly.

The general actually let out a nervous laugh. "Right. Of course. I am sorry, Milady. Of course you are not alright."

She sighed.

"Would you like some privacy?" the general asked, clearly uncomfortable because of her lack of response. It was obvious that he had no idea what to do with her. She didn't blame him. She didn't know what to do with herself, either.

She gave a small nod; and the general bowed, then turned around and left, closing the door behind him.

Her husband was dead.

It wasn't like she hadn't seen it coming. He had been sick for a long time already, even if he hadn't wanted to admit it – to his parents, to the doctor, to his wife… not even to himself. Slowly but surely, it had gotten worse. Lately he'd been deteriorating a little bit more every day. When he had been unable to get out of bed at the beginning of this week, she had known the end was drawing near.

She had spent every minute of her time with him, reading to him from her favourite books, or just talking to him. She told him the stories she was planning on telling their baby once it would be born. They discussed their future together – they talked about baby names, colours for the nursery, how many brothers and sisters they might want to give their first child and whether it would be a boy or a girl. He had really been hoping for a girl, she knew, though he had assured her that he would be the happiest man alive no matter what gender the baby would turn out to be.

It had been painful, to say the least. Discussing all those things while deep down, they both knew that he would most likely never see their baby at all. He wouldn't get to see the nursery or know the baby's gender. Their first child together would also be their last. He was dying, and they both knew it – even though neither of them admitted that out loud.

This morning she had been sitting with him when he had been gripped by a seizure. She had been all but chased out of the room, doctors, servants and maids streaming in to try and do everything they could to save their king. Elphaba had retreated to the bedroom, curling up in the foetal position and staring at the wall, talking softly to her baby every now and then to convince herself that she wasn't losing it, she wasn't going crazy, even though it felt like she was.

She hadn't moved ever since.

Not all that much had changed, she realised. She was still green. Still awkward, still a commotion, an aberration. Still ugly, still sarcastic – though not quite at the moment – and still too smart and outspoken for her own good. She was the same… yet she wasn't. Nothing had changed, yet everything had changed. It was a strange feeling.

Not that she was feeling much at all at the moment.

She felt numb. Empty. Nauseous, too. She couldn't even cry.

She was alone, she realised. She was a green girl without the man who loved her. A queen without her king. And soon she would be a mother without the father of her child.

She gently cradled her stomach. Seven months. She was seven months pregnant, and now her baby would never meet his or her father.

"I'll tell you stories," she whispered to her stomach. "I'll tell you stories about your father. He was a brave and good man."

The baby kicked from inside of her, and she closed her eyes for a moment.

* * *

><p>"<em>Elphaba?"<em>

_She looked up at him, still smiling because of the joke he had told her moments before._

_He smiled and reached out to caress her cheek. "I love your laugh."_

_Her smile widened and she rested her head on his shoulder. He pressed his cheek to her hair and they watched the night sky together – a dark, pitch black curtain filled with dozens of bright, silvery white stars. The moon was beautiful, silver and almost full, shining down upon them like an eye watching over them. _

_Elphaba didn't believe in any kind of spiritual things; but in that moment, she could imagine her mother looking down upon her from that gorgeous starry sky, with a gentle smile on her face. Melena had been a beautiful woman, Elphaba knew. She had showed Fiyero a picture of her mother once and he had told her that Elphaba looked a lot like Melena._

_She hadn't believed him, of course. Melena had been soft and gentle and beautiful, while Elphaba herself was pointy and green and… everything her mother had not been._

"_Nessa looks like her," Elphaba had said softly. "Not me. Never me."_

"_Yes, you do," Fiyero had argued. "Don't you see it?" He pointed at the image. "You have her nose, and her lips… her hair…"_

_Elphaba had lowered her eyes. "I don't see it," she had said. "I only see the differences. Her features are soft and mine are sharp, her eyes are the colour of freshly turned earth and mine of mud, her skin is fair and creamy and mine is –"_

"_Elphaba," Fiyero had cut her off. He had slid his fingers under her chin and tilted her head back until she would look back into his eyes._

"_You're beautiful," he had said in the most serious voice she had ever heard him use. "Don't ever doubt that. I love your features, Fae. I love your eyes – they might just be my favourite thing about you. I love their colour, I love the way they sparkle when you're passionate about something or when you get angry. I could get lost in your eyes."_

_She blushed and lowered her gaze, but he gently tugged at her chin again to make her look back up._

"_And I love your skin," he had said softly, trailing the fingers of his other hand down her bare arm, making her shiver. "It's soft and smooth, and it's beautiful. It's the same colour as the Emerald City – how can you not love it? You're the colour of emeralds, Elphaba, and you're just as precious and beautiful."_

_She smiled at the memory, and the prince beside her propped himself up on one elbow, looking down at her. He reached out and softly traced her jaw line with his fingers._

"_What are you thinking about?" he asked her softly._

"_My mother," she replied truthfully. "And you."_

_He smiled, remembering their conversation. "Precious and beautiful like emeralds?"_

_She chuckled softly and he leant down and captured her lips with his._

_Her eyes fluttered shut and she melted into the kiss, wrapping her thin, lanky body around his as he slowly lowered her onto the grass, kissing her deeply._

"_I love you," he whispered._

_She smiled and cupped his face with one hand, leaning up to kiss him again. "I love you, too, Yero my hero."_

"Yero my hero…" she murmured. Her eyes opened and she was confused for a moment as to where she was, exactly. Where was the night sky with the stars and the near-full moon? Where was the grass, the canal and the forest? Where was Fiyero?

Then things came rushing back to her and she realised that she was in her bedroom in the castle – the bedroom she had, up until this morning, shared with her husband. The fly she had noticed before had made its way over to the ceiling by now.

The light had also changed. It had been bright before, given the fact that the window was facing south and it had been the middle of the day; but now it was weaker and coloured more orange and gold, indicating that it must be late afternoon or early evening by now.

Elphaba rubbed her eyes, stunned at the fact that she had actually fallen asleep on a day like this.

"Your fault," she said bleakly to her stomach. The baby kicked in response and she sighed. It was true – lately she could sleep at any given moment of the day. Being pregnant was more exhausting than she could ever have anticipated. She was still surprised that she had slept just now, however. What kind of woman could just fall asleep when her _husband _had just died?

She remembered the dream she'd had, and she cringed. _Don't feel_, she told herself sternly. _It's better not to feel._

She couldn't believe her subconscious was torturing her in a moment like this with dreams about Fiyero calling her beautiful and telling her he loved her.

"Life is cruel, baby," she whispered, her voice only trembling a little bit. "I'm sorry I did this to you. Brought you to life, I mean. You're safe and happy now, but wait until you're born… with a bit of bad luck, you'll find out soon enough how horrible the world can be sometimes."

She felt the baby moving inside of her and she wrapped her arms around her waist, cradling her stomach and curling into herself. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to compose herself.

Then she shook her head, turned onto her side and fixed her gaze on the wall again.

* * *

><p>"Elphaba, dear?" The older queen, her husband's mother, slowly sank down on the edge of the bed, placing her hand on Elphaba's shoulder. Elphaba turned her head to look at the older woman.<p>

Right from the start, the old king and queen had been very accepting of her and her skin. They could see that their son loved this woman and that had been enough for them to welcome her with open arms.

They were both in their sixties and they had stepped down from the throne a few years prior. Their eldest son had taken over as king and, needing a queen, had married Elphaba. It had been an arranged marriage; even before the new king had been crowned, his parents had arranged things with Frexspar Thropp. The engagement had been announced the moment Elphaba had finished her final week of exams at Shiz. Her graduation ceremony had been a few weeks later and immediately afterwards, she had been whisked away by her father, her soon-to-be husband and her soon-to-be parents-in-law. The wedding ceremony had taken place and Elphaba had moved out of her old home back in Munchkinland and into her new one: a castle.

She hated the fact that her father had made this big a decision for her; but she knew that despite the fact that her marriage had been arranged, her husband had loved her. A lot. Skin and all. There hadn't been many people in her life who had done that.

Now, she looked at her mother-in-law. There were more wrinkles in her pale face than Elphaba remembered – she looked tired and her eyes were red and puffy from crying. She had just lost her son…

"How are you feeling?" the old queen asked gently.

Elphaba's shoulders rose and fell in a half-hearted shrug.

The queen smiled sympathetically and stroked Elphaba's hair. "He loved you, dear."

Elphaba nodded stiffly. "I know."

The queen sighed. "Look, dear… I don't want to do this right now," she began. "But you know about… certain traditions."

Elphaba looked at her with a dull expression in her dark brown eyes.

The queen continued to stroke the younger girl's hair as she spoke. "In our province, women can't rule by themselves," she said gently. "My second-born son is going to be the new king. The coronation ceremony will be in a few days."

Elphaba didn't say anything.

"It's complicated," the older woman said. "You are carrying the rightful heir to the throne. If this baby is a boy, he will be king one day, once he is old enough to rule."

"And if it's a girl?" asked Elphaba timidly.

The queen smiled at her. "Then we will lovingly welcome her into our family," she said. "You're welcome to stay here with us, dear; but your father has already written to us once he heard about our son's illness. We told him that it would most likely be fatal and he wrote back to us that he wishes to see you married to someone else if that was the case."

_That _got Elphaba's attention. "What?"

"Governor Thropp doesn't want you to be alone," the queen explained. "He says you need someone to take care of you."

_To keep me under control and make sure I don't do anything stupid_, Elphaba translated in her head.

"He has already made arrangements for you, I believe," the queen continued.

Elphaba was stunned. Her husband hadn't been gone for a day and her father had already promised her hand in marriage to someone else?!

"He has assured me that your new husband will treat your child like a son or daughter of his own," the queen assured her. "I know this young man Frexspar spoke of – he is kind and honourable. He has agreed to marry you and take care of you and the child. If the child is a boy, he will return here once he is old enough to claim the throne and become the king he is destined to be. If the child is a girl, she can continue to live with you and your new husband in his country, and the oldest son of my second-born will be the king when his father becomes too old to rule."

Elphaba felt dizzy and nauseous, and it wasn't just because of her pregnancy.

"He's marrying me off to someone I don't even know," she choked out, "within a _day _of my husband dying?"

Her mother-in-law stroked her arm comfortingly. "I'm sorry, Elphaba," she said. "But you know as well as I do that it is not proper for a soon-to-be mother to be alone. You need a man to help you raise your child. I would have loved to keep you and my grandchild here with me, but I understand your father's reasoning."

Elphaba turned away, hiding from the queen the fact that her eyes were filled with tears.

"You will be alright, dear," the queen continued. "You're a strong woman. You can do this. You'll be alright."

Elphaba shook her head, heaving a shuddering sigh.

"When?" she asked quietly.

"We shall write to your father as soon as possible," the queen answered. "He will most likely come here to pick you up as soon as he receives the letter – the end of this week at the latest, but not until after the funeral, of course."

Elphaba nodded, tears still in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she choked out. "About… about your son."

The older woman smiled sadly. "Thank you, Elphaba. I'm sorry, too." She rose to her feet and kissed the green girl's forehead. "But life goes on, unfortunately, and we have to keep going as well."

With that, she left the room, leaving Elphaba to ponder on her words.

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><p><strong>So... thoughts? Favourite lines? Love it? Hate it? Want to call the Frex Hunters on me for even <em>thinking <em>about posting this? Let me know :3.**


	2. Wondering where it all went wrong

**AN: Wow, 13 reviews for the first chapter? I'm overwhelmed - and they're such sweet ones, too! Thank you all so much! :)**

**I love how you all immediately went 'OMO FIYERO IS DEAD, HOW COULD YOU KILL FIYERO IN THE FIRST CHAPTER?!' except for ... *drumroll* ... LetItGoAndDefyGravity and Vinkunwildflowerqueen! Kudos to you for noticing my sneakiness and drawing the right conclusions instead of instantly panicking!**

**Moreanswers24 & Severussnapefan123, your reviews actually had me snorting with laughter :P.**

**For those interested, I created a new blogpost which is partly about this story and the titles of the chapters I'm using. You remember, right? Queenofcliffies blogspot nl. With dots in between, of course.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2. Wondering where it all went wrong<strong>

As the coffin was slowly lowered into the earth, Elphaba kept her gaze trained on it, refusing to meet anyone's eyes.

She stood tall and regally, her back straight, her baby bump clearly visible despite the many layers of black clothing she was wearing against the cold today. Her face was covered by a black veil; but even despite that, she was well aware of the fact that most of the people attending the funeral where staring at her and talking about her. The poor, pregnant – and now widowed – queen. She clenched her teeth and raised her chin, determined not to let anyone see how she was feeling.

"King Odron of the Glikkun Province," the pastor rumbled. "A great king and man, but also an obedient son, a kind brother and a loving husband. He leaves behind not only his people, but his parents, his younger brother, his sister, as well as his wife and his unborn child. He will be missed dearly."

"Goodbye, King Odron," the people chorused, dropping down in bows and curtsies. The royal family and Elphaba were the only ones that were still standing straight.

The king gave a small speech about his son and the princess recalled some fond memories of her brother in a trembling voice. Elphaba still didn't look up; she kept on staring at the dark, wooden coffin that was lying in a hole in the earth. The coffin with her husband's body in it. Soon it would be covered with earth and everyone would forget about him.

She knew that her father was standing somewhere amidst the crowd. Frexspar and Nessarose were both attending the funeral, as were the other province leaders – as it was the custom. The duke and duchess of Gillikin had come, as well as the ruler of the Quadling people with his eldest two children… and, of course, the king and queen of the Vinkus were there, too. Along with their only son.

The only thing that was harder than avoiding her father's gaze, Elphaba thought as she just stood there, stiff and rigid, was avoiding Fiyero's. They had a history together. A past. Part of her was thrilled at the chance to see him again; but a larger, more logical part of her reminded her that it was only painful. She was a widow now. She was pregnant with a dead man's child. She was promised to yet another man. Right after the funeral, Frex would take her away and bring her over to meet her new husband. Looking at Fiyero right now would be nothing more than torturing herself, and she didn't want that. It was hard enough already.

She knew he was staring, though. She felt his eyes on her, following her every move, piercing her carefully composed exterior and looking straight into her very being. It frightened her how well he knew her. How he could make her feel so many things, even though she tried the hardest she could not to feel anything at all.

Finally, she caved and she looked up, her eyes meeting his for just a clock-tick. Instantly, she was thrown back into the past – their days when they had still been at Shiz.

"_You think I'm really stupid, don't you?"_

"_No!" she protested. She paused for a moment, then added, "Not _really _stupid."_

"_Why is it that every time I see you, you're causing some sort of commotion?" he demanded and they launched into a useless banter about commotions and pretence and being deeply shallow and genuinely self-absorbed…_

"_No, you're not," she said dismissively, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Or you wouldn't be so unhappy."_

_His eyes widened for a moment; then they narrowed. "Fine," he hissed, turning away from her. "If you don't want my help…"_

_She wanted to slap herself. "No, I do!" she cried, just a little bit too desperately._

_And then she grabbed his hand._

_Electricity shot up her arm and all through her body, a warm and strange feeling spreading through her. Judging by the look in his eyes, he had felt it, too – or maybe that was just wishful thinking…_

_She quickly returned her attention to the Lion cub, kneeling down next to it._

"_I didn't mean to frighten it," she said quietly._

"_Then what did you mean to do?" Fiyero asked her softly, crouching down beside her and trying to meet her gaze. "And why am I the only one you didn't do it to?"_

_She opened her mouth to reply… only she had no idea what she could say. Honestly, she didn't even know the answer to that question herself._

"_You're bleeding," she said, almost relieved – not that he was hurt, but that she found a way to distract him from wanting to hear the answer to his question. "It must have scratched you."_

_And then he looked into her eyes and she looked in his, and what she saw there… it scared her. Because for a moment, she felt like she was looking straight into his soul – and he was looking straight into hers._

She blinked, forcing herself to re-focus on the present instead of on the past. Her eyes were still locked with Fiyero's, however, and he smiled at her.

She looked away.

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><p>"Elphaba," Frex said curtly once he and the other prominent guests had been led into the dining room for a banquet to honour their deceased king.<p>

Elphaba responded with a polite, cold nod. "Father."

"I see you have done it again."

She winced.

"It's peculiar, isn't it?" Frex continued, either not noticing the look on her face or choosing to ignore it – she suspected the latter. "How you always manage to do it. It would be admirable if it weren't so awful. Once a curse, always a curse, I guess the saying goes. It's a good thing I found another man willing to marry you, Elphaba, because I don't even want to think about what might happen if you were to be around Nessarose for too long."

She closed her eyes.

"You have already caused her enough pain, don't you think?" Frex said coldly. "That's all you ever do, after all – causing pain to the ones around you. You killed your own mother and crippled your sister. Nessarose will never walk or meet her mother, thanks to you. And now? Now you killed your husband." Frex shook his head. "Does it ever stop?"

"I didn't kill my husband!" Elphaba hissed, forgetting her composed attitude for a brief moment. She straightened her back and glared at her father, determined not to let him get to her. "I didn't do anything!"

"Maybe not purposefully, or even consciously," Frex conceded. He leant closer to his green daughter and spat, "But we both know that his death most likely did have something to do with you, Elphaba. You are green, unloved and _cursed_. An abomination. It wouldn't surprise me if that child of yours would die as well – or maybe it will be born green, just like you. You are a stain on the Thropp's good name, and I am happy that you will be as far away from Nessarose as possible from now on, because I'm sending you to the other side of Oz!"

Elphaba didn't pull a muscle – she was too tired to argue. "Sure," she agreed flatly. "Anything you say, Father."

He turned around and made to walk away.

"But let me just say, Father," she said, the slight tremble in her voice the only thing giving away her true feelings, "that you're wrong. Odron did love me. I did not love him, but he was a kind and wonderful man and one of the few people who saw past my skin and loved me for me. He and his parents gave me more love in the seven months since our marriage than _you _ever did in the twenty-one years before that."

Frex just narrowed his eyes and stalked away without saying anything else.

Elphaba slumped against the wall, a wave of dizziness washing over her, and she closed her eyes for a moment.

They immediately flew open again when someone gently took hold of her arm, helping her regain her balance.

"I'm fine," she began automatically, but she fell silent when she realised that the person holding her up was Fiyero.

He smiled a bit sadly at her. "Hey, Fae."

"Fiyero." She straightened and smoothed out her dress, suddenly painfully aware of her protruding baby bump – proof that her time with Fiyero was really behind her.

No more hopes and dreams about having a life with him. Just hard, cold, painful reality.

"I just wanted to say that I'm very sorry about your husband," he said.

She nodded stiffly. "Thank you."

He touched her arm lightly and as always, a rush of heat shot through her entire body upon feeling his touch. She suppressed a shiver and forced herself to keep her face neutral and expressionless.

"How are you?" he asked her, concern visible in his sapphire blue eyes.

She averted her gaze, knowing that if she looked into his eyes, she would be lost. _Don't feel_, she reminded herself. _Don't make this any more painful than it already is._

"I'm fine," she said.

The look on his face was almost… sad? He shook his head. "Elphaba," he said gently. "I think you and I both know that you're not fine."

She shrugged listlessly.

"Hey." He rested his fingers under her chin and tilted her head up, the way he always used to do when they had still been together. It caused a lump to appear in her throat.

"You can talk to me," he said softly. "You know that, don't you? I'll always be there for you, Fae. I promise."

_Don't feel, don't feel, don't feel… Oz, Elphaba, stop staring at him! Oh, no, don't cry – don't cry! Suppress the tears, Elphaba, you have to!_

She swallowed with difficulty. The lump in her throat was still there.

"Like I said," she managed to say without sounding too choked, "I'm fine. Now, if you'll just excuse me…"

She made to leave, but he gently grabbed her wrist, keeping her from doing so.

"There's something else," he said. "I need to talk to you."

She shook her head. "No," she said firmly. "No, you don't. _Excuse me_." She yanked her wrist free from his grip and rushed away, her head held high.

* * *

><p>"Elphaba, dear, it's time."<p>

Elphaba slowly turned from where she had been standing, staring out of the window, lost in thought. Her mother-in-law was standing behind her, a wistful smile on her face.

"I do wish you could stay here," she said. "I would have liked to help you through your pregnancy, to be there to see my first grandchild being born… hearing his first words, watching his first steps. Helping you to raise him. Or her, of course." The queen sighed and shook her head. "But this is the best solution for all of us, I think. Your father only wants what's best for you, dear."

"Sure," Elphaba agreed, her voice emotionless. No-one ever saw the way Frex really treated her. Frex was a good actor, playing the good father to the outside world, so concerned for his daughter; and no-one had ever cared enough to try and see past that fake exterior and into Elphaba and Frex's real relationship.

Not that it would make a difference if someone did.

The queen approached the younger girl and hugged her briefly. "It will be alright, Elphaba, trust me. Now, your things have already been loaded into the carriage; your father is waiting downstairs for you. Your husband is here – he has attended the funeral – and so you won't go back to Munchkinland with your family first. Instead, you will travel straight to your new home. Your new husband is not a king like Odron was, but he is still nobility; and I'm sure he will love you, dear."

Of course her father would have arranged a marriage with a man of importance. Marrying his daughter off to a king had been the ultimate move; but all of Oz would still respect him if he were to marry her off to some other high government official – a duke, a baron, or maybe a general. Elphaba didn't care, anyway. At the moment, she didn't care about anything at all.

"Tell him I'll be right down," said Elphaba softly. "Just… give me a minute, please?"

The queen nodded with a sympathetic smile. "Of course." She turned around with a swish of her heavy skirts and left the room.

Elphaba padded into the bathroom and stared at her mirror image for a long while. Her sharp, straight nose, her thin eyebrows, her dark eyes that seemed even larger than usual right now, contrasting sharply with her pale, hollow face.

_An abomination,_ her father's voice said in her head. _Once a curse, always a curse._

A single sob rippled through her body and escaped from her throat. She wrapped her arms around her own waist, as if to support herself.

"I'm sorry," she whispered brokenly, tears in her eyes, though she refused to let them fall. "I'm so sorry, Odron…"

There was no doubt in her mind that her father was right. She had always known that she was cursed; but when she had met Fiyero and befriended Galinda, she had thought that maybe, just maybe, she could be happy, too. Maybe she had endured enough pain and horrors in her past and she would get her chance to be happy now.

How wrong she had been.

She just hurt or killed everyone around her. She had killed her own mother. Nessa was in a wheelchair because of her. She had hurt Galinda – after all, if Fiyero hadn't fallen in love with Elphaba, then he and Galinda would have never broken up and the blonde would still be happy with her perfect boyfriend. She had hurt Fiyero, too – she had hurt him every time they'd had a fight, and she had hurt him when she had left, even if that hadn't been her own choice. And now Odron, her husband, had died. In her head, it was all connected by one common factor: Elphaba Thropp. The green girl. The artichoke. The abomination. The curse.

She screamed and punched the mirror, shattering it in dozens of smaller pieces. Her reflection looked strange now. Cut up in all these tiny parts, reflecting the way she was feeling inside. Shattered. Broken.

And now she was supposed to give birth to a small child, a baby that would be exposed to the horrors of the world – and of its mother – eventually as well. She was supposed to ride off into the sunset with some other man. A replacement husband. Someone to keep her under control and make sure she would be an obedient housewife, staying at home and caring for the children. She didn't want that. She had never wanted that. Her whole life was one huge, gigantic, enormous black hole.

Artichokes never got the happy ending.

She looked at the mirror again. Slowly, she reached out and grabbed one of the broken pieces. She could see part of her face in it – the bridge of her nose along with one wide open, empty, dark brown eye.

She accidentally gripped the piece too firmly and the glass cut through her skin, causing a thin line of blood to appear on her hand. Slowly, dark red drops of it started sliding out of the wound and down her hand, dripping down onto the bathroom floor. Thick, warm, shiny droplets of blood.

"Horrors," Elphaba whispered.

And suddenly she knew what to do.

She gripped the shard of glass tightly, pressing the edge of it against her wrist, though not putting pressure on it – yet.

She looked down at her swollen stomach.

"I'm sorry, baby," she whispered, her voice breaking. "But this is in your best interest, too. You would never be happy, anyway, with me as a mother. I don't want you to become like me. I want to spare you all the pain. Please… try to understand."

The baby kicked, and Elphaba had to stifle another sob.

"We'll be fine," she sang softly, slowly pushing down harder on the shard of glass. "Don't be scared."

She closed her eyes and bit her lip, trying not to cry out in pain as the glass sliced through the skin of her wrist.

Whatever she would find on the other side, it had to be better than the life she was living now.

* * *

><p><strong>Please take a moment to let me know how much you hate Frex and how badly you want to kill me right now :).<strong>


	3. If you could only make it

**AN: Glad you all want to kill Frex and not me :P.**

**Elphaba'sGirl: True - Yero is not dead and Elphaba was married to someone else, but I never mentioned the Vinkus ;). She was married to the king of the Glikkus, so Fiyero is still the prince of the Vinkus.**

**Moreanswers24, your review once again left me dying with laughter. I quote:  
>"THEY COULD GET MARRIED AND LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER.<br>HAPPILY EVER AFTER. HAPPILY. EVER.  
>Elphaba, put the piece of glass down. No, Elphaba put it away.<br>NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO [this went on for a long time]"**

**Sander, that made me laugh, too :P. 'Frex is a fine man'... *shakes head***

**Hope you'll all feel a little better after this one...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3. If you could only make it<strong>

"Excuse me," Fiyero said, stopping a servant as he passed by, carrying a tray with empty glasses on it. "Have you seen Queen Elphaba? I was talking to her earlier, but I can't seem to find her anymore."

The servant hesitated for a moment. "I think she's upstairs," he said finally. "Her father is supposed to take her away soon to get married again, I believe. You know, because of the baby…" He trailed off.

Fiyero thanked the young man and hurried out of the dining room and into the hallway. He looked left, then right; he decided to go right and ascended the stairs he found there, only to find himself in yet another hallway with several doors, stairs, and adjoining hallways.

"'Upstairs'," he muttered to himself as he climbed another flight of stairs. "Even with that knowledge, I could probably keep searching for days and not find her. How does anyone find their way in here?"

He paused when he realised that his own castle, Adurin Iir, was just as big as this one – and probably just as confusing for someone who hadn't grown up in its chambers and hallways.

Fortunately, at some point he caught sight of a maid and he ran across the hallway. "Miss?"

She looked at him questioningly.

"I'm looking for Queen Elphaba's chambers?"

Her face softened and she nodded. "Of course." She pointed towards more stairs. "Up those stairs, then take a left turn into the hallway. It's the second door on your right."

"Thank you." Fiyero sighed as he climbed more stairs and followed the maid's instructions. The door he found was made of thick, dark wood, decorated with carvings of vines and flowers, and it had a golden doorknob.

He knocked on the door.

When no response came, he knocked again. "Elphaba?" he called. "It's me. I'm sorry to disturb you here, but I really need to talk to you."

Still no reply. He sighed and leant his forehead against the door. "Fae, please?"

He was met with only silence.

He knocked again and he kept on calling out to her; but when he didn't hear a single thing, not even the rustling of skirts or a faint echo of footsteps, he started to grow worried.

He tried the doorknob. The door wasn't locked and it swung open right away. He hesitated for only a moment before he stepped into the room.

The curtains were open, allowing daylight to stream into the room. Dark grey clouds were gathering in the sky – it would probably start raining, or even snowing, soon. Fiyero looked around. The bed was neatly made and the shoes Elphaba had worn during the ceremony were on the floor beside the bed. There was no sign of Elphaba, but the door to an adjoining room, probably the bathroom, was open.

Fiyero slowly approached said door, suddenly overcome with an unexplainable feeling of dread.

"Elphaba?" he called again.

When she still didn't reply, he pushed the door open wider.

What he found inside filled him with horror.

Elphaba was lying on the bathroom floor, right underneath a shattered mirror on the wall. She was unconscious and she was breathing, but barely. There was a sharp glass shard right next to her hand and she was surrounded by a pool of blood.

She had tried to slit her own wrists, Fiyero realised, and it felt as if someone had punched him in the face.

He fell down on his knees next to her and pressed his fingers to her neck. There was a pulse. He ripped pieces of fabric off his shirt and tried to bandage up her wrists to stop the bleeding.

"Help!" he shouted over his shoulder, praying that someone was around to hear him. "I need help in here! Hurry!"

Soon a maid came running in; and upon seeing Elphaba, she immediately turned around and ran back downstairs to get help.

Fiyero cradled the green girl in his arms, tenderly running his fingers through her hair and moving her gingerly so that her head was resting against his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Fae," he whispered to her, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "You'll be fine. I'll do anything to make sure that you will be fine."

The maid returned not long thereafter, with a whole string of staff and guests behind her; but the maid, the doctor, the Glikkun king and queen and King Hamold of the Vinkus - Fiyero's father - were the only ones who were allowed inside.

The doctor quickly examined the raven-haired queen while the older queen stood there with her hand clamped over her mouth, tears streaming down her face. Her husband tried to comfort her. The maid was assisting the doctor and King Hamold stood behind his son, placing his hand on the prince's shoulder.

"Yero?" he asked softly. "Are you okay?"

Fiyero just shook his head wordlessly, and his father squeezed his shoulder.

"She needs to go to the hospital," the doctor spoke up. "Immediately. I managed to stop the bleeding for now, but she needs stitches - and soon."

Fiyero nodded and scooped the young queen up in his arms without a second thought. The doctor gestured for the prince to follow him and Hamold hurried in front of them to usher the guests in the hallway aside, clearing the way for the doctor and Fiyero.

They rushed downstairs and all but leapt into a carriage that would take them to the hospital. All this time, Fiyero kept a firm hold on Elphaba, praying that they would not be too late. He could see the blood soaking the bandages the doctor had wrapped around her wrists and he closed his eyes for a moment, trying to compose himself.

The moment they reached the hospital, Fiyero grabbed Elphaba a little bit tighter and quickly exited the carriage, all but running into the building.

From then on, everything was a blur. He remembered shouting something and nurses came rushing towards them from all angles; Elphaba was lifted out of his arms and onto a stretcher, and then she was wheeled behind doors and he wasn't allowed to follow. He wasn't sure how much time passed; he alternated between pacing, sitting restlessly on one of the uncomfortable chairs, and striding into the men's room to splash some water into his face. Soon his parents joined him, as well as the king and queen of the Glikkus.

Frex and Nessarose were nowhere to be found.

Fiyero found himself wishing that Galinda was here right now. She was the only person who knew Elphaba as well as he did; but she hadn't been allowed to attend the funeral because she wasn't nobility, and so she wasn't here now.

"Why?" the Glikkun queen was whispering, a handkerchief pressed to her face. "Why would she do such a thing?"

Her husband rubbed her back consolingly. "Maybe she did love our son a lot more than we always thought her to," he said softly.

Queen Eleonora – better known as Lori - of the Vinkus, Fiyero's mother, gently placed her hand on her son's shoulder. "Yero?"

He looked up at her.

"Are you alright?' she asked him.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes, suddenly feeling tired.

"Yes," he said. He looked down at his hands and sighed. "No."

Lori knew everything about his previous relationship with Elphaba and how much he still loved the emerald-skinned witch; and it broke her heart to see him like this right now. She couldn't even imagine how awful it must be to find a person you loved the way Fiyero had found Elphaba that night.

They waited for what felt like hours before finally, a doctor came to find them.

"Are you family?" he asked.

"We're her parents-in-law," the king of the Glikkus spoke up. "We're the closest thing to family she has."

The doctor nodded and motioned for them to follow him, which they did.

Fiyero clenched his fists. "Why do they always do that?" he demanded. "I'm the one who loves her more than anything in the world, I'm the one who's been together with her for nearly three years and I'm the one who found her bleeding on the bathroom floor, so what in _Oz _gives _them _the right to hear how she is and not me?!"

"Fiyero, calm down" said Hamold calmly, placing his hand on the prince's shoulder. "The Glikkun king and queen will return soon and I'm sure they'll tell you all about her current condition."

His wife stroked her son's hair. "She'll be fine, Yero," she assured him. "Don't worry."

"She slit her wrists," Fiyero growled. "Of course I worry."

His parents exchanged a look, but since they had no idea what they could say to that, they kept quiet.

Finally, the Glikkun king and queen returned; and Fiyero all but pounced on them.

"She's stable," the king told them wearily, his arm firmly wrapped around his wife's shoulders. "She has lost a lot of blood, but she will live. The doctors say that we're lucky you found her when you did," he said, glancing at Fiyero, "because if she had been brought in ten minutes later, the damage might have been too bad to save her. They want to keep her overnight because of the baby, but she should be able to go home tomorrow. Under one condition, of course, and that is that someone will keep an eye on her at all times. If we can't do that for her, then they're going to send her to an institution."

"A mental institution?" Fiyero demanded in a high voice. "Seriously?"

"She tried to kill herself," the Glikkun king reminded him quietly. "She's emotionally unstable. Someone needs to keep an eye on her."

The queen buried her face in her husband's shoulder. "I can't believe she would do such a thing," she cried. "The baby…"

Fiyero's eyes widened – he had all but forgotten about the baby. "Is it okay?" he asked now. "The baby, I mean?"

The king nodded. "It will live," he assured the Vinkun prince. "And so will Elphaba herself." He looked at his wife for a moment. "Only we can't take her home with us…"

"She's coming home with me," Fiyero said firmly, leaving no room for discussion.

His father opened his mouth to say something, but Fiyero cut him off by holding up one hand.

"I'm taking her home," he said stubbornly. "Whether you guys like it or not."

His mother sighed. "Yero…"

"She still loves me," he insisted. "I know she does. And I love her, too. More than anything. So if anyone can help her, get her out of whatever dark place she's in right now, it should be me, right?"

His parents exchanged a look. The king and queen of the Glikkus did, too; then the king smiled at Fiyero and patted his hand.

"Take her home with you," he conceded. "Make her happy."

"I will," Fiyero promised.

The Glikkun queen gave him a watery smile and embraced him briefly. "Thank you."

"Anytime," Fiyero said – and he meant it, too. When it came to Elphaba, there was nothing he wouldn't do.

* * *

><p>"<em>Favourite colour?" she asked him.<em>

"_Green," he replied immediately, earning himself an elbow between the ribs._

"_Ouch!" he yelped, but he laughed as he rubbed the painful spot. "What? It's true!"_

_She just rolled her eyes._

"_Favourite childhood memory?" he asked her._

_She fell silent, thinking about that for a few moments._

"_My mother," she then said softly. "I remember when I was very young, maybe two or three years old… she would always read me bedtime stories or sing me old Munchkin lullabies before I would go to sleep. I loved those moments."_

_Fiyero smiled. "I can imagine why."_

_They were both silent for a while._

"_Fae?" Fiyero broke the silence._

"_Mm?"_

_He sat up. "How did she die?" he asked her quietly. "Your mother?"_

_Elphaba sat up, too, and lowered her eyes. "She died in childbirth with Nessa," she muttered._

_Fiyero squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry."_

"_Me, too." She sighed. "Especially because - never mind," she cut herself off when she realised what she had almost blurted out. She rose to her feet and brushed some grass from her skirt. "Do you want to go get some coffee?" she tried to change the subject._

_He caught her hand, preventing her from moving away. "Fae?"_

_She avoided his gaze._

_He pulled her back down to sit in the grass with him again and cupped her face so that he could look into her eyes._

"_You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to tell me," he assured her softly. "But I want you to know that you can tell me anything, if you _do _want to."_

_She heaved a deep sigh and leant against him._

"_Just… just promise you won't look at me any differently," she begged him. "I don't want your pity."_

_He kissed her softly. "Never."_

"_Okay." She took a deep breath. Then she threw it out._

"_It's my fault that my mother is dead."_

_She told him about her father's reaction to her skin and how he had made Melena chew milk flowers to prevent their second child from coming out green as well._

"_They made Nessa come too early," Elphaba whispered. "With her little legs all tangled…" She looked down at her hands, folded in her lap. "And my mother never woke up again."_

_Fiyero was shocked._

"_Oh, Fae…" He folded her into his arms. "That's awful. I'm sorry, green girl."_

_She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder._

"_But none of that was your fault," he told her firmly. "It was the milk flowers that made Nessa come too early and killed your mother, not you."_

"_But if it weren't for me, she wouldn't have had to take those flowers in the first place!" Elphaba insisted._

"_She didn't _have _to," Fiyero corrected her. "She _chose _to. She and your father decided that she would take the milk flowers. It was a risk they took, and it went wrong. Fae, none of that is your fault!"_

"_That's what Galinda said," she muttered._

_Fiyero pulled back to look into her eyes and he tenderly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, in that case, Galinda actually said something sensible for once," he teased gently, which made her smile._

" _She can be sensible," she acknowledged. "If she wants to be."_

"_And in this case, she was." Fiyero kissed her forehead. "Thank you for telling me, Fae."_

_She sighed contently and snuggled deeper into his arms, feeling much lighter than before. Not that she believed Fiyero or Galinda when they said that it wasn't her fault; but it was nice to be able to tell someone. It was nice that Fiyero knew. And he didn't look at her any differently, which she appreciated._

"_Hey, Fae?"_

"_Mm?"_

"_Do you want to go on a date tonight?"_

_She smiled and accepted the hand he offered her to help her up. Then she leant up to stand on her tiptoes and she kissed him._

"_I'd love to."_

"She's dreaming," the doctor explained quietly. "She's been tossing and turning ever since she fell asleep."

"Yes, well, she's been through a lot," the Glikkun king said, and his wife nodded in agreement.

"I think it would be best for us to leave her alone right now," the king continued. He looked at the doctor. "You will keep an eye on her, won't you?"

"Of course," the doctor assured them, and the king nodded and led his wife from the room.

Fiyero looked at Elphaba's face. Her nose was scrunched up and she was muttering something unintelligible in her sleep. It was impossible to tell what she was dreaming about, but he hoped it was something good.

He leant forward and pressed his lips to her forehead for a brief moment.

"I'll be back tomorrow," he whispered, "and I'm going to take you home with me, Fae. I promise. And I'm never going to let you go ever again. Not this time."

He straightened up and left the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

* * *

><p><strong>Like I said. Fiyeraba ^_^.<strong>

**Favourite lines?**


	4. Through another day

**AN: Sorry for the late update, I meant to do this yesterday night but the site didn't agree with me I couldn't access fanfiction at all... sigh. But here it is!**

**The Wizard Of Wicked: In my mind, yes, that's what she was dreaming of - that will be explained a little in one of the later chapters, that she's been dreaming about her time with Fiyero a lot. As long as you keep in mind that all the stuff in italics did actually happen, whether they are presented as dreams or just as memories - it's all real.**

**Personally I really like the Lori/Elphaba moments in this chapter... scratch that, I'm just really happy with the way I wrote Lori (and Hamold) in general in this story so far :).**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4. Through another day<strong>

The next day, Fiyero, Lori and Hamold travelled back to the hospital to pick up Elphaba.

They brought her to the exit in a wheelchair, after which she insisted on walking the rest of the way to the carriage herself – _without _any help. Fiyero was watching her anxiously as she swayed a little, then regained her balance and carefully padded over to the carriage, climbing inside.

They all tried to get her to talk as they rode to the Vinkus, but Elphaba refused to speak a single word. She also declined any food or water they offered her. She just sat there, hands fidgeting with the fabric of her dress as she stared out of the window without really seeing anything.

The journey took them almost an entire day; and by the time they reached Adurin Iir, it was nearly midnight.

When Fiyero made to help Elphaba out of the carriage, she snapped at him; and he had to watch helplessly as she clambered out herself and strode into the castle without waiting for the others.

"She's been through a lot, Fiyero," Hamold said quietly when he saw the crestfallen look on the prince's face. "Give her time."

Fiyero sighed. "I know, Dad. I _know_. It's just…" He trailed off, but he didn't have to finish that sentence.

Hamold gently squeezed his son's shoulder as he moved inside the castle, and Lori and Fiyero followed him.

"Go and eat something," Lori whispered to Fiyero when she caught sight of the green girl standing in the hallway, silently staring up at one of the tapestries that was hanging on the wall. "I'll get her settled in."

Fiyero nodded and left, and Lori slowly approached the dark-haired witch.

"Elphaba?"

The girl turned her head.

Lori spoke gently, but firmly. "The doctor said you need to rest," she said, "so I'm going to take you up to one of our guest rooms, okay?"

Elphaba nodded wordlessly and allowed Lori to lead her up a flight of stairs and into a hallway. The queen opened a door and gestured for Elphaba to enter the room.

It was a nice room – it had a light wooden floor and creamy white walls. There was a light blue rug on the floor in the same colour as the curtains; the emerald green colour of the patterns on the curtains returned in the blankets of the large four-poster bed. The closet, desk and nightstands were made of oak wood, and there were two doors in addition to the one they had entered through – one led to the bathroom, the other to an adjoining sitting room, which was just as large and light as the bedroom and decorated in the same colours.

"This will be your home for now," explained Lori softly. "If you need anything, all you have to do is ask – whether that would be more candles, an extra blanket or something to eat. You're free to wander around the castle if you want to; but especially in the beginning, I strongly suggest you just stay in bed and regain your strength."

Elphaba lowered herself onto the edge of the bed, bouncing slightly to test the softness of it.

"Fiyero told me you love to read," said Lori. "Would you like someone to bring up some books for you?"

Elphaba shook her head. "I'm good."

They were the first words she'd spoken since they had left the hospital that morning, and Lori decided to take that as a good sign.

"Very well, then," she said, moving back towards the door. "I will send someone up with supper soon."

"I'm not hungry."

"I bet you're not," agreed Lori, "but it's important for you to eat, Elphaba. If not for yourself, then for your baby."

Elphaba sighed, but didn't protest any further. She struggled to take off her shoes – her baby bump was big enough by now so that she had trouble bending down at the best of times – and put them next to the bed. Then she lay down on top of the sheets, on her side, facing the wall.

When Lori opened the door and made to leave, the green girl raised her head, a faint shimmer of interest in her dark brown eyes.

"You're leaving me alone?" she asked, surprised. "After what I did?"

Lori turned around. "Fiyero is most likely going to kill me," she acknowledged. "If it were up to him, you would be under constant supervision – twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. He was terrified, Elphaba. When he found you there last night… I don't think he has ever been so scared in his entire life."

Elphaba kept quiet.

"But you're not a child." Lori met the young witch's gaze steadily. "You're not a child and you're not a fool. I know that much. I think you can decide for yourself what you want to do and what you don't want to do with your life. You don't need a babysitter – according to what I've heard about you from Fiyero, I'm guessing it would only drive you crazy to have people hovering over you all the time. So yes. I'm leaving you alone. Unless you'd like some company, of course."

Elphaba shook her head almost automatically. "No," she said. "I'm fine."

Lori took a step out of the door and Elphaba suddenly spoke up again.

"You're not worried I'm going to try again?"

Lori leant back so that she could look past the door at the pregnant green girl lying on the bed.

"No," she said. "I trust you."

With that, she left the room, leaving the door open just a crack.

Elphaba kept on staring at the door for a long time, lost in thought.

* * *

><p>"You left her <em>alone<em>?!" Fiyero stared at his mother, his mouth actually falling open a little bit. "Are you completely insane?!"

"Fiyero!" his father reprimanded him sternly. "You don't talk to your mother like that!"

"Yes," Lori said calmly, ignoring her husband and focusing on her son instead. "I left her alone."

Fiyero moved to dash up the stairs, but the queen stopped him.

"She doesn't need people hovering over her, Fiyero," she said. "She has always taken care of herself and she has always been independent. That's something we should not take away from her. Loving her is not the same as being by her side all the time – you'd smother her. She needs her own space, especially now. She doesn't need protection and she doesn't need a supervisor. All she needs is for us to have faith in her, so that she can have faith in herself again."

Fiyero frowned. "Mum, I don't care what she needs," he snapped. "What _I _need is to know that she's okay!"

His mother looked at him for a long time.

"That's selfish," she said finally, and Fiyero exploded.

"Yes. That's very selfish," he sneered. "I'm the most selfish person in the world, alright? But you know what? I don't care! She is all that matters in my life and I just want her to be safe!"

"Do you want her to be safe?" Lori asked him just as calmly as before, not at all impressed with her son's outburst. "Or do you want her to be happy?"

"She tried to kill herself! She's not happy!"

"Obviously," Lori agreed. "But you would only make it worse by hovering, Fiyero. She hates that. I know that not just because you've told me, but also because of the way she responded to me just now."

Fiyero ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "But –"

"You want to protect her," Lori cut him off gently. "I know that. And that's very sweet of you, Yero. I know you want to be with her, let her know you love her… but I really think what she needs right now is some space. She needs to work things out for herself; and honestly, I think that if anything would drive her into trying to take her own life again, it would be us smothering her and treating her like a baby."

Fiyero kept quiet. He knew his mother was right.

"So sit down," Lori instructed her son, pushing him onto a chair, "and eat. After that, I want you to go to bed. I will tend to Elphaba for now, and you can see her again in the morning. Alright?"

Fiyero grudgingly agreed and sat back down to eat his dinner.

* * *

><p>After they had finished eating, Fiyero and Hamold went to bed and Lori went to check on Elphaba one more time.<p>

The green girl was lying on her bed in the same position she had been in before. When Lori came in, she glanced up for a moment.

"Hey, Elphaba," the queen said gently. She sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down at the dark-haired witch. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," muttered Elphaba.

Lori noticed the tray on the nightstand – a maid had brought up some food earlier, and, with Lori's advice in mind, Elphaba had reluctantly eaten all of it. She knew that Lori was right and that she needed to take care of herself – she owed that to her baby.

She half expected Lori to start praising her like a small child for clearing her entire plate, but Lori just smiled and re-focused her attention on Elphaba.

"Is there anything you need?" she asked her. "Pillows, blankets, anything to get comfortable? I might have a body pillow lying around somewhere, it might help you getting comfortable…"

Elphaba shook her head. "I'm fine," she said. That seemed to be her standard reply to everything these days – even more so than before.

"Alright." Lori rose to her feet again and walked over to the closet. She opened a drawer and pulled out a nightgown. "Here you go."

Elphaba slowly sat up, pushing herself into a sitting position, and accepted the piece of fabric from Lori.

"I'll be going to bed as well now," the queen said. "Will you be alright on your own?"

Elphaba nodded wordlessly and Lori gave her another smile. "Very well then. Goodnight." She made her way over to the door and left.

Elphaba pushed herself to her feet and waddled over to the bathroom to change into the nightgown and brush her teeth. When she was finished, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror.

Had it really only been a day since she had tried to take her own life? It felt so much longer. Nothing had changed, she realised. She was still an aberration and a curse, her husband was still dead and when she was better, she would still have to marry someone she didn't know. The only difference was that she was closer to Fiyero now, as well as his parents… enhancing the chances of something happening to them because of her.

Yet at the same time, she felt lighter than before.

She sighed and avoided looking at her reflection again. She picked up a hairbrush and ran it through her long, raven strands before putting it down again and padding back over to the bed, crawling underneath the blankets and closing her eyes.

* * *

><p>"<em>I love you."<em>

_He stared at her, clearly shocked. "What did you say?"_

_She bit her lip and turned away, mentally kicking herself for her slip-up. "Nothing," she muttered. "Never mind. I'm sorry. Forget I said that."_

_They spent a few more moments in awkward silence. Then Fiyero said suddenly, "I should go."_

_She turned back towards him to look at him questioningly, her chocolate brown eyes huge and filled with anxiety; but he didn't even glance in her direction. He avoided her gaze as he picked up his bag, and he didn't kiss her before he left, the way he usually did._

_Instead, all he said was, "Bye," and then he left the room, all but slamming the door shut behind him._

_When Galinda came back to her and Elphaba's dorm room later that day, she found her roommate lying on her stomach on her bed, her face buried in her pillow as she sobbed her heart out._

"_Elphie?" Galinda dropped her shopping bags and ran over to her friend, sitting down on the edge of the bed and rubbing soothing circles on Elphaba's back. "Elphie, what's wrong? What happened?"_

"_I – I blew it, Glin," Elphaba sobbed, allowing the blonde to help her up. She then buried her face in Galinda's shoulder, still crying._

"_What do you mean?" Galinda asked worriedly._

"_F-Fiyero!" Elphaba sniffled and wiped her nose with her sleeve. "He… he was here, and we were just studying together, and talking a little bit… and then he asked me out for this Friday, because it would be our three-month anniversary." More tears started streaming down her face. "He said… he said he wanted to take me somewhere special, and then he kissed me, and… and it just slipped out!" She buried her face in her hands. "I just blurted it out, and… and now I blew it! I ruined everything!" She burst into sobs again._

"_Elphie, Elphie!" Galinda pulled her roommate's hands away from her face and took them in her own, squeezing them softly. She looked into Elphaba's eyes. "What did you say?"_

"_I said…" Elphaba hiccupped. "I said I loved him!"_

_Galinda was so stunned that she let go of the green girl's hands; and Elphaba fell back down onto her bed, burying her face back in her pillow as she cried._

"_Oh, Elphie…" Galinda muttered, trailing circles on her friend's back again. "What happened?"_

"_He ran off," said Elphaba in a choked voice. "I tried to take it back, but then he said he needed to leave and he did… leave, I mean. He couldn't even look at me anymore, Glin… I ruined it – just like I always ruin everything good in my life!" She wiped at her tears angrily. "Maybe Father was right…"_

"_No!" Galinda cut her off, horrified. She wrapped her friend in her arms, rocking her back and forth, trying to comfort her._

"_Your father is not right about anything," the blonde girl told her friend sternly. "Your father is a jerk and an asshole, Elphaba and I will not allow you to listen to him. Sweetie, you did nothing wrong – you know that, right? Maybe Fiyero really needed to go somewhere. Or maybe… maybe he just panicked, or something. Guys do that – sometimes boys can just be really weird. That doesn't mean it's over between the two of you! He loves you, too, I know it – _he _just doesn't know it yet, but he will soon!"_

_Elphaba sniffled._

"_Come on, Elphie, don't worry – everything will be fine!"_

_Elphaba shook her head stubbornly. "No," she choked out. "It won't be. I messed it up, Glin." She buried her face in her pillow again. "I lost him."_

Elphaba started awake, blinking in the dark for a few moments before she remembered where she was. She let out a long, shuddering breath.

No matter how hard she had tried to forget Fiyero, she never had. Ever since she had left him to get married to Odron, Fiyero had been haunting her dreams. Not a single night has passed where she hadn't dreamt of their time at Shiz together – the day he came to Shiz, the day with the Lion cub, their first date, him telling her he loved her, him introducing her to his parents… she suspected that by now, she had probably relived their entire relationship in her dreams.

She sighed and turned onto her back, trying to get comfortable, which was hard these days. She stuffed a pillow under her painful lower back and stared up at the ceiling. Her gaze drifted towards the door and she found herself wishing that Fiyero would come in right now.

But no-one came, and eventually she just drifted back to sleep again.


	5. You've been damaged to the core

**AN: Thank you all so, SO MUCH for your votes in the Greg Awards. Seriously, I just saw all the awards I got for my stories and I'm completely overwhelmed and speechless. I feel so honoured right now - I've been bouncing and squealing like a second Galinda all day! Thank you all and congratulotions to all the others who won and/or were nominated - you're all amazing!**

**MyLittleElphie: why, thank you ^^. And yes, the rest of that memory will come in a later chapter - the next one, if I'm right.**

**GeekyChic123: thank you! Galinda will appear in the next chapter in all her blonde, bouncing, squealing glory :P.**

**Elphaba'sGirl: I'm really glad you liked that line, because I was quite proud of it myself ^^.**

**The Wizard Of Wicked: I can tell xD.**

**I like the Hamold/Elphaba father/daughter sort of thing in this chapter... Actually, I like all of this chapter, because the beginning is Fiyeraba :). Not full-on Fiyeraba, but Fiyeraba nonetheless. Also, this chapter will probably clear up a lot about why Elphaba tried to take her own life and about her relationship with Odron.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5. You've been damaged to the core<strong>

"Hi, Fae," Fiyero said as cheerfully as possible as he barged into her room the next morning, trying to hide the relief he felt when he realised that she was still in her bed, alive and well, instead of bleeding on the bathroom floor because she had attempted to take her own life a second time. "Did you sleep well?"

She didn't reply; she just watched him silently as he strode across the room and opened the curtains, allowing the sunlight to stream into the room.

He turned around to face her, a bright smile on his own face. "Mum asks if you want to join us downstairs for breakfast."

"Only if you wipe that fake smile off your face," she snapped at him.

His smile faded and he looked down. "I'm sorry," he said quickly. "Of course."

He cleared his throat awkwardly. "So, what would you like for breakfast? Scrambled eggs?" he tried brightly.

"Eggs make me nauseous."

He let out a nervous laugh. "Right. Sorry. Um… pancakes?"

"I'll just come downstairs and see for myself what I want, okay?" she said irritably.

"Right." He hurried to her bedside and tried to help her up, but she slapped his arm away – hard.

"Don't _do _that!"

"Sorry." He jumped back. "I know – no hovering. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

She glared at him. "And stop that, too."

"Stop what?" he asked, genuinely confused.

She gestured towards him. "You're trying to appease me." She started mimicking him. "'Yes, Elphaba. I'm sorry, Elphaba. Anything you want, Elphaba.' Stop that. You're making me itchy and you've only been in the room for two minutes. Can't you just act normally?"

His shoulders slumped and he moved away, standing in front of the window again with his back towards her. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'll stop."

He heard her sigh and she turned around to lie on her back. He kept on staring out of the window for a moment, lost in thought. His mother had warned him that Elphaba needed time, and she was right, of course – the girl had just tried to take her own life. She was emotionally unstable, to say the least; and on top of that, as his mother had warned him, she was pregnant and most likely hormonal and crabby at the best of times.

He just wished she would go back to her normal self again. He missed her.

"I know what you're thinking."

Fiyero glanced over his shoulder at the figure in the bed. Between all those sheets and blankets, she looked small, like a little girl.

"I doubt that," he said.

"Poor, fragile, pregnant little Elphaba," the young witch continued bitterly. "Tried to take her own life. You don't have to be so careful around me, you know. Even if you weren't watching me like a hawk all the time you're near me, I wouldn't try it again."

He shook his head. "That's not what I was thinking at all."

She eyed him with a certain dose of curiosity.

"Though I am wondering why you did it," he said as he approached the bed again and sat down on the edge of it.

She turned away from him and muttered, "Horrors."

Shivers ran down Fiyero's spine.

"I never knew you loved your husband so much," he pressed on, wanting to know the reason. "Enough for you to not want to live without him."

She let out a soft, mirthless laugh. "Fiyero, you have no idea what you're talking about."

"Then why did you do it?" he asked her quietly. "Were you really that unhappy?"

"It wasn't because I was _unhappy_," she said with a brief glance at him. He realised that she was right – he had no idea what he was talking about. He didn't know this Elphaba. He had known the girl back at Shiz – bright, brilliant, beautiful, magical, sarcastic Elphaba – but he didn't recognise her in this woman before him. It scared him a little how much she had changed in less than a year.

"I've been unhappy all my life," she said softly. "I can handle being unhappy."

When she didn't say anything else, he moved around the bed to crouch down beside her and look into her eyes.

"Why did you do this to yourself, Fae?" he demanded. "Why did you do this to your _child_?"

"I did it _for _my child," she corrected him. "Fiyero, this is not about me. This is about the people I love. Everyone I love gets hurt, and I didn't want that anymore. Not for Nessa, or for Galinda or for my unborn baby… and not for you. I'm a curse. Everyone is better off with me dead."

He was stunned.

And yet at the same time, it made sense to him. Because he recognised her again. The girl who thought her mother's death and her sister's disability were her fault. The girl who would do anything to keep the ones she loved safe… even if the 'danger' they were exposed to was nothing more than an illusion, put into her mind by her own father.

"Oh, Elphaba…" he whispered. He wrapped her into his arms, holding her gingerly.

She stiffened at first; but then she slowly relaxed into his embrace and allowed him to hold her, her eyes closing. A small sob escaped her throat and he stroked her hair, running his fingers through the long, soft strands.

"It's okay, _a chroí_," he whispered, using the Vinkun nickname he had started using for her a long time ago, when they had still been at Shiz. "Shh, it's okay. It's okay to cry."

She shook her head, choking on another sob as she tried to swallow it and blink away her tears. "I don't want to," she sniffled stubbornly. "Damned hormones."

A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips upon hearing that. Even at Shiz, she had always refused to cry. Of course she couldn't always stop it; but as far as he knew, he was the only one who had ever seen her break down and he knew she hated even him seeing her when she was, as she always put it, 'weak'.

He hated to see her cry; but at the same time, he felt relieved. Until now, he'd had no idea of what was going on inside her head. She'd been quiet and withdrawn, apathetic, even; and he had felt helpless, because he had no idea what to do. He hadn't known how to help her.

This Elphaba, he recognised. This Elphaba, he could deal with.

"Fae," he whispered to her now. "Please talk to me."

She sighed and pulled away from him, curling into herself once more. "What's there to say? I already told you why I did it," she muttered.

"Is that all?" he asked her softly. "Because Frex put some completely insane idea in your head?"

She turned away. "It's true," she insisted.

He sighed and reached out to stroke her hair. "What about Odron?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I never loved him, Fiyero," she said tiredly. "Surely you know that. It was an arranged marriage – you know that, too."

He nodded. He did know that. Straight after their final exams, Elphaba had come up to him, looking pale, but managing to hold back her tears; and she had told him that Frex had just announced her engagement to King Odron of the Glikkus and that she was supposed to leave for her wedding in two weeks, straight after the graduation ceremony. Fiyero had been heartbroken, but there had been nothing either he or Elphaba could do.

"Odron was a kind and good man and a great king," Elphaba continued softly. "He was one of the only people who looked past my skin and he really did love me, despite the fact that he knew I would never return those feelings. He was a friend. A good and close friend, and I would lie if I said that I wasn't devastated when he died or if I said that I don't miss him… but I didn't _love _him. I would never try to commit suicide over his death. It was just… the last straw, I guess." She bit her lip. "Yet another person dead, and even more people hurt, because of me."

Fiyero opened his mouth to protest, but Elphaba shook her head. "Don't."

She could feel the baby moving inside of her; and she put one hand over her abdomen almost instinctively.

Fiyero closed his mouth and eyed her worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." She uncurled herself and pushed herself to her feet. "Just hungry. Can we go get breakfast now?" she asked, changing the subject.

Fiyero decided not to push her any further and let it slide. Instead, he fetched her a robe and gently draped it across her shoulders. "Do you need any help?"

The only reply he got was a glare; and so he held up his hands in self-proclaimed innocence and stepped back a little, allowing her to waddle past him and out of the room.

When she and Fiyero entered the dining room, Lori and Hamold both looked up and smiled.

"Good morning," the Vinkun queen greeted them. "Did you sleep well?"

Elphaba nodded and sat down. "I did, thank you." She didn't mention her dreams.

Hamold passed her a plate of pancakes and Fiyero immediately moved to put some on Elphaba's plate for her.

She scowled and opened her mouth to protest, but Lori was quicker.

"Fiyero," the queen said warningly.

Fiyero sighed and sulked, but obediently moved his hands under the table and stared down at his plate like a five-year-old boy who had been naughty.

They ate breakfast in a slightly uncomfortable silence. Elphaba ate quietly – she ate just enough to satisfy Lori and Fiyero, but not a single bite more. The whole time, Fiyero was watching her anxiously – she could almost literally feel his eyes burning a hole in the side of her head, even as she was trying her hardest to ignore him. Lori tried to distract Fiyero, but failed; and Hamold was attempting to make light conversation with anyone who was willing to listen… only no-one really was.

After breakfast, Elphaba went back upstairs to her room. Fiyero wanted to go after her, but his father stopped him.

"What did your mother tell you about smothering her?"

Fiyero sighed and grumbled, then plopped down on the couch.

Lori sat down beside her. "She'll be fine, Yero," she said consolingly. "Give her time."

He sighed again. "We talked this morning," he admitted. "She… she told me why she did it."

Lori sat up a little straighter, clearly intrigued. "She did?"

Fiyero nodded unhappily. "Remember when I told you about her relationship with her father?" he asked his mother.

Elphaba had told him that in confidence, and he had kept her secret; but Lori had started asking him questions once she found out that Elphaba got married to someone else straight after graduation, instead of coming to the Vinkus to marry Fiyero, and the prince had then confessed everything to his mother about Elphaba's relationship with Frex and the things he had talked her into believing.

Lori nodded now, and Fiyero lowered his eyes.

"She did it because she believes that she's a curse to everyone around her," he choked out. "I think… I think she blames herself for her husband's death."

Lori's heart went out to the young witch. "Oh, the poor girl," she said sympathetically. "I wish we could help her… do something about that father of hers."

"There's no concrete evidence," Hamold said, shaking his head. "Everyone knows the Governor of Munchkinland as a strict, but good and honourable man. I don't think they would believe us if we told them the truth."

"Well, at least we can help Elphaba now," Lori decided. "We'll be here for her to help her through everything."

"I'd like her to be checked over by our family doctor," Hamold spoke up.

Lori looked up at him. "Why?" she asked. "She just got out of the hospital and she was checked over there."

"A _Glikkun _hospital," Hamold corrected her. "I have nothing against the Glikkun people, you know that; but the truth is that they're far less developed than most of the other parts of Oz, except maybe for Quadling Country. They know about as much about proper medicine as your average Vinkun housewife. When it comes to health care… Let's just say I don't trust Glikkun doctors. I, too, care about Elphaba – you know that, Yero. She's been like a daughter to me ever since you first brought her home for Lurlinemas."

Fiyero smiled softly at the memory. "I remember."

"And I know that you both care a great deal about her as well," Hamold continued, looking from Lori to Fiyero and back to his wife. "So I'm not willing to take any risks with her. Especially in her condition. I want both her and the baby thoroughly checked over by a Vinkun doctor."

Lori nodded and gracefully rose to her feet, her skirts rustling. "I will send one of the maids to the city to fetch him," she said and left.

Fiyero fidgeted. "I really want to go and see her, but I don't think she'd appreciate that right now," he mumbled.

Hamold placed a calming hand on his son's shoulder. "I'll go," he said. "I know of just the thing that will make her feel better."

Fiyero looked up at him questioningly and his father winked at him. "Trust me."

The prince accepted that and Hamold made his way upstairs, to Elphaba's room.

He knocked on the door. "Elphaba?"

No reply came.

"Elphaba, it's me, Hamold."

Still no response. Hamold was starting to grow a bit worried – visions of Elphaba trying to take her own life again plaguing his mind – and so he called firmly, "Elphaba, I'm coming in right now!" and he pushed open the door.

At first he didn't see her, and his eyes were automatically drawn towards the bathroom door; but when he stepped into the room, he noticed the lump under the blankets and he let out a relieved breath. She was just asleep.

He approached her slowly. She was lying on her side, her arms cradling her stomach. Her hair was wet and she was wearing a simple dress instead of her nightgown – she must have washed up before going to take a nap.

"Elphaba?" He reached out and gently shook her shoulder. "Come on, wake up. You can't sleep with your hair wet like that – you'll catch a cold."

She muttered something unintelligible and Hamold shook her again.

"Come on, Elphaba."

Her eyes opened. "What…"

"Here." He helped her to sit up and he went to get a hairbrush and a towel from the bathroom. He sat on the bed behind Elphaba and carefully started brushing and towel-drying her long, dark hair.

Elphaba yawned and quickly clasped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry."

Hamold chuckled. "It's okay." He untangled another strand of hair with the hairbrush. "It's a good thing that you were taking a nap – you need your rest – but this castle can be drafty in the winter months, Elphaba. We don't want you getting sick."

Elphaba kept quiet. She usually never went to sleep with her hair still wet, but she had just felt so tired and depressed that she really hadn't felt like drying it first.

"There will be a doctor coming by soon," Hamold continued as he wrapped the towel around some strands of hair and rubbed it dry. "I want you checked over by a Vinkun doctor, just to be sure. He's been our family doctor for years – you'll like him."

Elphaba nodded – she knew Glikkun medicine was behind on medical practice in the rest of Oz; and besides, she figured there was no use in arguing with the king of the Vinkus, anyway.

Her eyes slowly drifted shut again, but she forced herself to stay awake.

"You remind me of Galinda," she murmured drowsily. "She always fidgeted with my hair like this when we were still at Shiz."

Hamold laughed softly. "I've always wanted a daughter," he said as he put the hairbrush away and continued to towel-dry Elphaba's hair. "Don't get me wrong – I was the happiest man alive when Fiyero was born and I love him very much, but I always thought there was something magical about little girls." He sighed. "Unfortunately, Lori and I couldn't have any more children. She almost died in childbirth with Fiyero," he explained.

Elphaba stayed quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry," she offered then.

Hamold smiled. "It's okay. Lori is healthy and alive, and we have a beautiful, if somewhat brainless, son…"

He laughed and a smile tugged at the corners of Elphaba's mouth as well.

"We're happy," Hamold continued. He put the towel away. "There you go. All done."

Elphaba turned towards him and gave him a weak smile. "Thanks."

"No problem." He squeezed her shoulder gently. "Now, do you want to sleep a little while longer before the doctor comes?"

Elphaba hesitated, then shook her head. "I'll take a nap afterwards," she decided. If she fell asleep now, she would just be woken up again in an hour because the doctor had arrived, anyway.

Hamold smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that." He offered her his arm. "I would like to show you something."

She allowed him to help her up and accepted his arm gracefully, letting him lead her from the room and up a flight of stairs, through a long hallway to the other side of the castle. Hamold swung open the doors with a dramatic gesture and he gently pushed Elphaba inside.

Her eyes lit up and she held her breath. "Oh, sweet Oz," she said breathlessly.

Hamold grinned at her reaction and made a wide gesture. "Elphaba," he said with a mischievous glint in his blue eyes, "welcome to the royal Vinkun library."


	6. Afraid to feel once more

**AN: I swear to you, the Beauty and the Beast reference was coincidental. Sort of. As in, I didn't realise I did it until I read back the chapter, and then I decided to leave it in. No idea where it came from, though - I haven't seen the movie in forever.**

**The Wizard Of Wicked: :') That made me laugh so hard... just don't mention Wilson! Wilson traumatised me! I first saw Cast Away when I was still very young, and I cried _so hard _when Wilson drifted away at sea and he was calling out to him and crying, like, "Wilson, I'm sorry!" and I just completely broke down :3.**

**Guest: I try to post this about every two days; but honestly, I just work on chapters whenever I have time and inspiration and post them whenever they're done, so it varies.**

**bpc908: I quite liked that, too... Good idea. I'm going to keep that in mind for a next fic :).**

**MyLittleElphie: Titanic? Really? Which part? :P Whichever part it was, it was an accident...**

**This chapter: flashback to what happened after Elphaba told Fiyero she loved him, Galinda coming by, and Fiyeraba moving forward.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6. Afraid to feel once more<strong>

"I think it's official," Hamold announced as he walked into the throne room, where Lori was reading some papers and Fiyero was lounging on his father's throne. "We're never going to see Elphaba again."

He only realised his importunate phrasing when Fiyero leapt to his feet, instantly panicking. "What do you –"

"Sorry, sorry," Hamold apologised, looking sheepish. "I shouldn't have phrased it that way. Don't worry, Yero. She's fine."

Fiyero calmed down – a little. His blue eyes were still filled with anxiety, though. "Then what do you mean?"

Hamold grinned at him. "I showed her the library."

Fiyero let out a breath and let himself fall back onto the throne. "Oz, Dad. You scared me." He scowled. "Wait a clock-tick. You showed her the library? She's supposed to be resting! Now she's _never _going to return to her room voluntarily!" he complained.

"Sitting on a couch with a book _is_ resting!" Hamold defended himself.

Lori rolled her eyes. "Yero, she can take care of herself," she assured her son. "And at least if she's locking herself up in a library again, doesn't that mean she's getting better? Emotionally, I mean?"

"She's getting there," Hamold confirmed. "For as far as I can see, anyway. You should have seen her face when she first set foot in the library – she looked like a six-year-old Fiyero on Lurlinemas morning!"

Fiyero grumbled something under his breath.

Lori smiled. "That's good," she said.

Just then, there was a knock on the door and a maid came in. "Your Highness, Your Majesties," she said politely, curtseying. "I just came to let you know that the doctor will stop by here by late afternoon. Also, your guest has arrived."

"Good," said Lori with a smile, rising to her feet and smoothing out her dress. "Thank you, Breena."

She turned towards her husband and son. "Hamold, will you come with me?" she asked. "And Fiyero – could you go and find Elphaba? Bring her to the grand sitting room downstairs, please."

A grin lit up Fiyero's face. "That guest. Is that…"

Lori nodded, her smile widening. "Yes. I told you I'd write to her, didn't I? It was a good idea of you to invite her here, Fiyero. Now, go and get Elphaba – we'll meet you in the sitting room."

Fiyero nodded and immediately leapt to his feet and out the door, heading for the royal library.

"Fae?" he called as he opened the door. "Where are you?"

"Fiyero?"

He located her on the second floor, which was open and could be seen from the first floor.

"Sweet Oz, Fiyero, this library actually has _three floors_!" she said in wonder.

He laughed. "Yeah, I noticed."

"Did you?" she said, quirking an eyebrow.

"I've lived here all my life," he reminded her.

"Yes, but this is a _library_," she stressed, teasing him. "I didn't think you'd actually been in here."

For a moment, she sounded like Shiz-Elphaba again; and Fiyero couldn't help but grin. Elphaba caught herself and blushed slightly as she turned around to put the book she was carrying back on its shelf.

"Did you need me for anything?"

"Yeah," he said. "We have a guest and my mum would like for you to come downstairs."

"Okay." She slowly came down the stairs, holding on tightly to the railing to keep herself from toppling over – her balance seemed to be a bit off lately. Her sleeve slipped up a little, revealing the bandage around one of her wrists, and Fiyero swallowed when he saw it.

_She's getting better,_ he reminded himself. _She's not going to try again._

Elphaba reached the ground floor then; and Fiyero shot forward to help her. For once, she didn't protest. Instead she just linked her arm with his and allowed him to lead her into the hallway.

"I was thinking," she said quietly as they walked. "Do you remember the first time I told you I loved you?"

He frowned slightly, wondering why she would bring that up now. He grimaced slightly at the memory. "Yes. Of course. Did I ever properly apologise for that?" he asked her.

She chuckled weakly. "Only about three hundred times."

He smiled. "Yes, well, I was a complete idiot," he said. "What makes you bring that up now?"

She bit her lip. "I dreamt about it last night," she confessed. "I… I've been dreaming a lot about… us. Ever since… well, ever since there was no 'us' anymore."

He squeezed her a little bit closer. "Well, do you remember how it ended, too?" he asked her quietly.

She smiled. "I do."

"_Fae, I'm sorry," he said for the umpteenth time. "I just… panicked."_

_She refused to even look at him. "That was the first time I ever said those words to someone, Fiyero," she said quietly. "The first time ever. And to be completely honest, I think it might have been the last time, too."_

"_Fae, please," he begged her, taking her hands. "Look at me."_

_She sighed, but obeyed._

_He took a deep breath. "I love you, too."_

_Her eyes widened, but he wasn't finished yet._

"_And I didn't panic because you told me you loved me," he said. "I panicked because once you said it, I realised that I felt the same… and that scared me. Because I've never loved a girl before, Fae. I love my mum and dad, but that's it… or so I thought." He squeezed her hand. "Elphaba, I love you. And I'm sorry for being an idiot yesterday and treating you the way I did. There's no excuse for that. Just… please forgive me. I need you to forgive me." His voice broke. "Because… because honestly, I don't know what my life would be like without you anymore."_

_She looked at him for a moment, not saying anything. He closed his eyes, convinced that she was going to reject him now, tell him that they were over._

_But then she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him; and he knew that no matter what, they were going to be okay._

"Not all that much has changed, you know," said Fiyero quietly.

She looked up at him, her large, chocolate brown eyes catching the light. She shook her head.

"I know you want to believe that," she whispered. "But it's not true, Fiyero. So much has changed."

"My feelings for you haven't," he said immediately.

Her eyes snapped up to meet his.

"I still love you," he said simply. "I never stopped loving you. Only now I do know what my life would be like without you. It was horrible, Elphaba. It really was."

She looked down.

"I've been meaning to ask you…" Fiyero gently helped her down the stairs and into another hallway that led to the large sitting room. "Was it true, what you told me that day? You've never told anyone else that you loved them before?"

She sighed. "Yes," she said reluctantly. "That was true. I loved Nessa, and at some point I started loving Galinda, I guess… you know, in a sisterly kind of way. But I never told them, because… I don't know. I just couldn't." She bit her lip. "No-one has ever told me they loved me, Fiyero," she said softly. "Not until you came along. And to be completely honest, I don't just think that you were the first one to say it – I think you were the first one to _do _it, too. Love me, I mean."

"No," he declared, shaking his head. "I don't believe that. Your mother must have loved you…"

She shrugged slightly. "I don't remember that much of her," she said with a small sigh.

"And I'm sure Nessa and Galinda did, too."

Another shrug. "Maybe."

He squeezed her hand, stopping her, and turned her to face him. "Fae," he said solemnly. "No matter who has or hasn't loved you in the past… I just want you to know that I did love you. I still do, and I always will."

She sniffled.

"Fae?" he asked, slightly concerned.

She was avoiding his gaze, staring down at her feet. Then she mumbled something unintelligible.

"What was that?" Fiyero asked, slightly confused.

She still didn't look at him, staring at the floor as she repeated her earlier words, but she was muttering and so he still didn't understand her.

"Fae, I can't hear you when you mumble like that," he said. "What were you saying?"

Her eyes flew up to his and she snapped, "I said I love you, too, you stupid brainless idiot!"

Fiyero gaped at her.

Just then, there came a loud, _very _loud squeal from down the hall. "_ELPHIE!_"

Elphaba's eyes widened. "Galinda?" She looked up at Fiyero, astonished. "Galinda is here?"

He didn't reply – he was still gaping.

"Elphie!" A flurry of blue, white and blonde suddenly launched itself through the hallway, skidding to a halt in front of Elphaba.

Galinda hadn't changed one bit, Elphaba noticed. She was wearing high, white heels and blue-and-white dress with a swirly skirt. Her golden curls were bouncing, her blue eyes were shining and there was a beaming smile on her face.

Luckily, she had the common sense to not throw herself at Elphaba, the way she usually did. Instead, she gingerly wrapped her arms around her best friend, hugging her tightly, but not too tightly.

"I missed you, Elphie," she said. "All these things were happening, and… and I'm sorry I wasn't there. I'm really sorry about your husband, too."

Elphaba managed a weak smile. "Thanks, Glin."

"Is it true?"

Elphaba looked confused. "Is what true?"

"What Lori wrote to me?" The blonde looked at her friend anxiously. "That you tried to kill yourself?"

Elphaba glanced at Fiyero for a moment, who only now seemed to be recovering from his earlier shock a little bit. Then she looked back at Galinda and lowered her gaze.

"Yes," she admitted.

"Oh, Elphie!" Galinda hugged her again, near tears. "Why in Oz would you do such a thing? Lori said you were being all sad and depressified, and Elphie I'm _so _sorry I wasn't here for you! It was a good idea of you to invite me, Fifi," she said, patting Fiyero's cheek as if he were a small boy. "If anyone can help Elphie, it's me. Come on, sweetie, I'm going to take you to the sitting room and we're going to have tea, and then I want you to tell me everything, okay? And after that, I'm going to give you a makeover to make you feel better. And we can share secrets and have a girls' night tonight – just like we used to do at Shiz!" Still chattering on, the blonde linked her arm with Elphaba's and practically dragged the green girl through the hallway and into the sitting room, leaving Fiyero behind in bewilderment.

"Gee, Glin," he muttered sarcastically to himself as he followed them to the sitting room, sulking. "It's very nice to see you, too."

He was still glad he had asked his mother to invite her over, though. The idea had struck him right after he had found out about Elphaba's attempt to take her own life; Galinda was her best friend, after all. Lori must have written to her straight away, he mused, if Galinda was here already. He was glad she had managed to get here so soon.

When he entered the sitting room, Galinda was busy asking Elphaba, Hamold and Lori a thousand questions all at once, and Elphaba was looking slightly overwhelmed. There was a light in her eyes, however, that Fiyero hadn't seen there in quite some time; and he was happy about that. He smiled as he watched the two friends and former roommates together, Galinda insisting on feeding Elphaba her tea and some biscuits because "You're way too skinny for a pregnant woman, Elphie, but your stomach is way too big for you to bend all the way to the table to grab your own tea!".

"Why is it that the moment I even reach out to touch Elphaba, everyone starts yelling at me not to smother her; but Galinda can _feed _her without getting so much as a comment on it?" he complained good-naturedly.

Galinda tossed her curls. "Because I'm me," she said simply.

Elphaba opened her mouth to say something, but Galinda cut her off by holding up one hand. "Not a word, Elphie."

The dark-haired girl shot Fiyero a helpless look and he chuckled.

"There's your answer, Yero," Lori said drily.

"Fae…" Fiyero said a bit hesitantly. "Can we talk?"

Galinda waved a finger at him. "Na-ah, Tiggular. I got to her first."

Elphaba rolled her eyes and Hamold chuckled.

"We'll talk later," Elphaba said, not looking at him – she knew perfectly well what he wanted to talk to her about. "Okay?"

He nodded and flashed her a smile. "Okay."

Galinda got to hear the entire story from them – though Elphaba was reluctant in admitting what had led to her deciding to do what she did. When Galinda started prying, she got irritated.

"Some things are just none of your business, Galinda," Elphaba said with a scowl. "You don't need to know _everything_!"

Galinda looked offended. "Well, _excuse me_," she said snippily.

"Girls, girls, calm down," Lori intervened.

Galinda sighed. "Okay, you're right. Sorry, Elphie," she apologised. "I forgot for a moment that you've got hormones coursing through your body and you're even more easily annoyed than usual."

Elphaba's eyes narrowed.

"So, Glin," Fiyero quickly stepped in, "how have you been since we last saw you?"

Galinda's face immediately brightened and she started chattering on about some handsome boy she had met at a party and she was confident that he was the love of her life.

It took another hour or so before Galinda finally agreed to let Elphaba and Fiyero go to talk. The blonde started chatting with Fiyero's parents as the couple left the room and went into a different, smaller sitting room, just down the hall.

"So…"she mumbled, looking down. "What did you want to talk about?"

He softly closed the door behind him and looked at her. "I think you know."

She sighed and sank down onto a couch. "I shouldn't have said anything. I… Fiyero, you keep saying that nothing has changed, but that's just not _true_ and I need you to see that. I know you still feel the same way you did at Shiz. Believe me, I know. That's what made everything so much harder. Do you have any idea what it was like to be married to a man, knowing that there was someone else out there? Someone you love and who loves you back?" She looked up at him tiredly. "I know what you want to hear, Yero," she said, and his heart leapt up when he heard her using his old nickname. "And I can say it – I never stopped loving you, either."

He suddenly felt ten tons lighter.

"But it doesn't matter," she continued. "I'm pregnant with Odron's child and as soon as I have 'recovered'," she used her fingers as quote marks, "emotionally, I mean… I'm going to have to marry someone else. It's just not meant to be, I guess. And I don't want you to get your hopes up, because they will only get crushed in the end. We can't be together, Fiyero, and that's the end of it."

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, completely at loss for words.

"Fiyero? Elphaba?" Hamold called from the hallway. "The doctor is here!"

Elphaba pushed herself to her feet again, and Fiyero quickly shot forward to help her.

She sighed and leant against him wearily. "Don't make this any harder than it already is, Yero," she begged him softly.

"I'm not letting you go," he said simply. "Not again."

"Fiyero –"

"Come on, we'll talk about this later." He wrapped his arm around her waist. "Let's first see what the doctor has to say, okay?"

She closed her mouth and allowed him to lead her away.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you all so much for reviewing. I've been feeling a bit down lately, and your reviews really help.<strong>


	7. Soon you'll release

**AN: Some of you are putting pieces together and making guesses. I'm not saying anything yet, except for the fact that this chapter has another surprise in store for you.**

**MyLittleElphie: OMO, you're right! Another accidental reference :'). I didn't even remember that scene... funny.**

**Siarenthander: no, no, that's not it at all! Don't worry ;). I love murderous reviews. Honestly, they actually brighten my day when I'm feeling sad. I'm okay, just a little... I don't know. But my fluffy and bright side is already returning, judging by the new one-shot I wrote ;). I'll be fine.**

**Woodland59: no, nothing happened. Nothing in particular, anyway. It's more like all these small things added together, me failing my exam and things like that... but I passed the resit and it's going better now. And yay, I'd love to build a virtual snowman ^^.**

**Casper: thank you for reviewing! The silly thing is, I often don't even know I'm doing it until someone points it out to me :P.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7. Soon you'll release<strong>

"Well, those Glikkun doctors were right about one thing," the doctor concluded as he finished up examining Elphaba. He smiled at the green girl. "You're going to be perfectly fine. If you just keep calm and take it slow for a while, until you have to give birth, it'll be alright."

"Oh, thank Oz," said Lori, clearly relieved. She squeezed Elphaba's hand.

"What about the baby?" Elphaba asked worriedly.

"Don't worry," the doctor assured her, still smiling. "I can hear a strong heartbeat on both sides. The babies are both fine as well."

Lori choked on a sip of tea. Fiyero paled visibly and Elphaba just gawked at the doctor with her mouth open.

"Excuse me – _what_?!" Elphaba managed to choke out.

The doctor looked baffled. "You didn't know?"

Elphaba was looking faint and a few shades paler than usual. "There's _two _babies?"

"Oh," the doctor muttered. "Oh, my. Um… yes, Miss Elphaba," he said a little sheepishly. "You're having twins. Congratulotions."

Elphaba felt like she was about to faint.

Fiyero quickly went to sit beside her, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Fae?"

"Just breathe, Elphaba," Lori advised her, taking both of the green girl's hands in her own and squeezing them. "Just breathe."

"I'm sorry," the doctor apologised. "I thought you knew."

Lori smiled a bit bleakly at him. "It's alright," she assured him. "You couldn't know. I'm just glad Hamold pushed us to have you examine her again, just to be sure - imagine what would have happened if we hadn't found out about this until she went into labour!" She shook her head.

"How far along are you, Miss Elphaba?" the doctor asked her.

"Um…" Elphaba had to think about that for a moment, still a little dazed because of the news she had received moments ago. "Thirty-one weeks… according to that Glikkun doctor, anyway," she said uncertainly. "I mean… I don't…"

"I'll find out," the doctor assured her with a sympathetic smile. He asked her some questions and examined her again. Elphaba was glad that she had decided to only have Lori and Fiyero in the room – if Galinda had been here, she would be squealing everyone's ears off about how 'amazifying' it would be for Elphaba to have twins.

"Judging by what you just told me, Elphaba," said the doctor, removing his reading glasses and looking at the green girl solemnly, "and by the examinations I have just conducted, I would say that you're just over thirty-five weeks."

Elphaba's eyes widened. "Thirty-_five_?" she echoed incredulously. "But…"

"I might be wrong," the doctor reminded her. "I can't _exactly _calculate it; but you're somewhere in between thirty-four and thirty-six weeks, yes."

"Are… are you sure?" she choked out.

The doctor smiled sympathetically at her. "Yes," he confirmed.

The world started spinning around Elphaba. She was vaguely aware of Lori reminding her to breathe and Fiyero tightening his grip on her, bracing himself as her weight slumped against him; and then everything went black.

* * *

><p>"Elphaba, sweetheart?"<p>

Elphaba moaned softly. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked straight into the worried faces of Lori, Fiyero and the doctor.

The latter immediately shone a bright light into her eyes, causing her to squeeze them shut in a reflex.

"Are you with us?" the doctor asked calmly.

She nodded drowsily. "Uh-uh."

"Good." The doctor smile. "Don't worry, it's not uncommon for women in your condition to faint," he said reassuringly. "Especially after the shock you've just gotten." He shook his head.

Elphaba blinked slowly. She realised that she was lying on the couch, with her head in Fiyero's lap and Lori crouched down beside her. She brought one hand up to her forehead.

Fiyero gently stroked her hair. "Are you okay?" he asked in concern.

She nodded faintly. "Yeah… I guess so."

"Now look, Miss Elphaba," the doctor said, looking at her. "I realise that you probably know that a woman very rarely ever carries twins full-term. You are very likely to go into labour before the forty weeks are up – in fact, about half of all women having twins give birth before thirty-seven weeks."

Elphaba was starting to feel dizzy again.

Fiyero panicked. "So practically she could go into labour any minute now?" he said anxiously.

"That's why I want her to rest as much as possible," the doctor said reassuringly. "Don't worry, Your Highness – I hardly expect her to go into labour within the next few days… but the possibility is there. I just want you all to be prepared for it."

Elphaba nodded faintly.

The doctor quickly checked her over once more; and when he had reassured the others that she really was alright, Lori left the room to see the doctor out and immediately, Galinda burst through the door, falling down on her knees next to Elphaba. "Oh my Oz, Elphie, are you okay? Lori told me you fainted!" She felt the green girl's forehead, then looked at her worriedly. "Elphie? Are you feeling okay?"

"Fine," Elphaba assured her friend softly.

Fiyero decided to give the friends some privacy and discreetly left the room.

Galinda sat down next to her former roommate and took her hand. "Oh my Oz, Elphie," she said softly, her cerulean eyes shining with excitement. "You're having twins!"

"That's easy for you to get excited about," Elphaba said crossly. "You're not the one having to push them out of your body."

She giggled, but acknowledged that. "You're right. I'm sorry, Elphie. But admit it – it _is _pretty awesome, right? Do you think they're boys or girls? Can I buy you baby clothes? Ooh, Elphie, we should go shopping, and decorate the nursery, and –"

"Galinda!" Elphaba cut her off sharply. "I don't even _want _to think about that right now! There's so many things that I need to sort out first… problems I have." She bit her lip. "Like the fact that Fiyero loves me, and I love him, but that I'm supposed to be marrying someone else. If I were to just stay here and Father would find out… he'd kill me," she whispered. "Glin, I… I don't know what to do."

"Oh, Elphie…" The blonde hugged her friend gingerly, but tightly. "Don't worry about all that," she said. "I'll talk to Fiyero… we'll figure something out. Him and me and his parents, and… all you have to do is lie back and rest, get lost in that creepy library they have here, and relax. Okay?"

Elphaba gave her former roommate a weak smile. "I wish it were that easy."

"Trust me," Galinda said confidently. "It is."

Elphaba shook her head. "No," she whispered. "No, it's not."

Galinda looked at her best friend, frowning. "Why not? Elphie?"

Elphaba just wordlessly shook her head again, tears stinging her eyes, and Galinda wrapped an arm around her. "Elphie, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Elphaba said with a watery smile. "Hormones. Sorry."

Galinda, however, didn't buy that. "Elphie…"

"I'm fine, Glin."

Galinda just sighed. "Elphie, you know that you can talk to me, right?" she said softly. "I'm here for you."

Elphaba's tears spilled over and she buried her face in her hands.

The blonde hugged her friend gently. "Look, sweetie - I know it must be a shock for you to find out that you're having _two _babies instead of one…"

She shook her head. "It is, but this is not about that," she said, her voice muffled by her hands.

"Okay." Galinda rubbed her back. "It's probably also a scary feeling to know that you could go into labour any moment, but –"

"It's not about that, either," the young witch said.

"Oh." The blonde looked confused. "Then why…"

Elphaba opened her mouth; then she closed it again and looked down.

"Elphie," Galinda said gently.

The green girl looked up at her friend.

"You can trust me," said Galinda. "If there's something you want to tell me, I promise I will keep it a secret if you want me to; but you look like you need to talk to someone right now."

Elphaba took a deep breath.

"Promise you won't tell anyone," she whispered.

Galinda solemnly put one hand over her heart. "I promise."

"Especially not Fiyero," Elphaba added.

Galinda frowned. "Elphie…"

"Galinda, promise!" Elphaba insisted, and the blonde caved.

"Fine," she said with a sigh. "I don't like you keeping secrets from Fiyero, but fine. I promise. I won't tell him or anyone else."

"You can't tell his parents, either," Elphaba warned her.

Galinda heaved another, irritable, sigh. "Elphie," she said sternly. "I promise I won't tell _anyone_. Not Fiyero, not his parents, not anyone else. Now, could you please tell me what's wrong?"

Elphaba hesitated. Then she leant forward and whispered something in Galinda's ear.

The blonde's eyes widened. "Oh my Oz, _Elphie_!"

"You promised not to tell anyone!" Elphaba cried immediately, and Galinda nodded furiously.

"Yes, yes, I promised," she agreed. "And I won't. But Elphie… Fiyero needs to know about this."

Elphaba immediately shook her head. "No," she declared. "Never. He can't know, Glin. No-one can know."

"But Elphie –"

"No, Galinda."

The blonde sighed. "Alright. If that's what you want," she conceded. "But I still think you should tell Fiyero."

"It would ruin him," Elphaba said softly. "His life, his reputation… I don't want that, Galinda. Ever. He deserves better."

Galinda's eyes nearly fell out of her sockets, they were so wide. She gaped at Elphaba for a few moments.

"Is that the reason?" she wanted to know, her voice even higher than usual. "Is that why you won't tell him? Elphie?"

The green girl avoided her friend's gaze.

Galinda knew enough. "No, Elphie," she declared firmly. "_No_. That is wrong in _so many _ways. I'm sorry, but I'm breaking my promise, Elphaba. You have to tell Fiyero. You have to. If you don't, I will. It was wrong of me to promise to keep silent in the first place."

Elphaba closed her eyes for a moment. "Glin…" she whispered desperately. "Please don't. I don't want to burden him like that, he… he should be able to live his life the way he is. Free and… and without me, and…"

"No, Elphie." Galinda shook her head and wrapped her arms around her friend, hugging her. "Oh, Elphie, you have no idea, do you? He loves you so much. He would want to know about this. He _has _to know about this. You could never be a burden to him – he loves you! You're his world!"

Elphaba wrapped her arms around herself. "That's exactly why I can't tell him," she said, nearly in tears. "He would never leave me, Glin, and… and it would not only ruin his life, but it would also be a problem. I'm supposed to marry someone else… if he knows about this, he'll never let me go!"

"Yes, well, do you really _want _to go?" Galinda asked pointedly.

"No," said Elphaba, sounding tired. "Of course not. But I don't have a choice, Glin. Who knows what my father will do if he finds out that I'm not getting married to the man I'm promised to, but staying with Fiyero instead?"

Galinda shook her head. "We'll figure something out, Elphie," she promised, scooting closer to her friend. She rubbed her back, then hugged her gently. "It'll be alright. Really."

Elphaba sighed and hugged the blonde back. "Thanks, Glin." She pulled away. "I think I'm going to go back to my room now," she said quietly, absently rubbing her sore back with one hand and her stomach with the other. "I'm really tired."

"Of course!" Galinda helped her to her feet. "It must be very tiring to carry around two people all the time," she mused. "Even before you knew it was actually two people and not one."

Elphaba chuckled weakly. "Yeah. It explains a lot, though," she admitted. "My mother-in-law – the Glikkun queen, Odron's mother – said that my stomach was very large, considering my due date. She used to joke about the baby being very big." She smiled a little. "The fact that my due date was wrong and that it's twins instead of one baby does explain that. As well as my tiredness all the time, the fact that my morning sickness was so bad… every pregnancy symptom I had was bad, really. Odron's mother just thought I had bad luck – some women have a very easy pregnancy and some… well, not."

Galinda shook her head again. "Unbelievable that no-one knew you were having twins," she muttered.

She looked and Elphaba and took her friend's hand. "Elphie, you look like you're about to fall asleep on the spot," she said firmly. "Let's get you to bed."

"I can go alone," the green girl protested weakly.

"I know," Galinda said immediately. "But why would you go alone if I don't mind going with you? Unless you're tired of me, of course," she added.

Elphaba smiled – a real smile this time. "No. Of course not." She squeezed the blonde's hand. "I'm really glad you're here, Glin."

"Good," the girl said brightly, "because I'm really glad I'm here, too. Come on, let's go upstairs."


	8. All the ghosts of what was

**AN: So many of you have been guessing about the thing Elphaba told Galinda in the previous chapter... she'll tell Fiyero in this one, so then you'll find out what it was ;).**

**I have already decided on genders and names for the babies (and no, The Wizard Of Wicked, I'm not giving them rhyming names. Poor kids! Bill and Jill, Gary and Mary... :') what kind of parent does that to their children?). As you may have noticed, I'm making this story more about emotion than about adventures and horrible cliffies, and I intend to keep it that way... though Frex might get nasty later on.**

**Kudos to Sander for being the 100th reviewer of this story! :D This is the first time that I can actually give my 100th reviewer _real _cake/pie/brownies/cookies instead of virtual ones! ;) But then again, there will already be cake at the rehearsal this Sunday... Later, okay? Let's just say I owe you a cake for our next movie project meeting, or something ^^.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8. All the ghosts of what was<strong>

When Galinda quietly slipped out of Elphaba's room some time later, turning around after she closed the door behind her, she nearly got a heart attack.

"Oz, Fiyero!" she hissed, dramatically putting one hand over her heart. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"I wasn't sneaking up on you!" he protested. "I was just standing here!" He looked at the door. "Is she asleep?"

Galinda nodded. "She was really tired after everything," she said. "Has she been sleeping this much during her entire pregnancy?"

Fiyero shrugged helplessly. "I only know how much she's been sleeping since she got here a few days ago," he reminded the blonde. "And if that's anything to go by, then yes, she's been sleeping a lot. My mum says it's normal, though… especially given the whole twins-thing." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "How is she doing?"

"Okay." Galinda bit her lip, knowing that she couldn't tell Fiyero what Elphaba had told her – the dark-haired witch needed to tell him that herself. "She's just a bit shocked," she said instead, which was, of course, also true. "She'll be fine, though."

Fiyero nodded. "Okay. Good."

He made to walk away, but Galinda's hesitant voice stopped him. "Fiyero?"

He turned around. "Yeah?"

She took a breath. "When she wakes up… Elphie needs to talk to you about something."

He quirked his eyebrow.

"I can't tell you," Galinda said softly. "It's not my place to tell. But it's very important that _she _tells you, and I know she's very reluctant to do so. Don't let her get away with not saying anything. You need to know."

He nodded slowly, utterly confused. "Um… okay?"

She flashed him a weary smile, then turned and left the hallway.

* * *

><p>That night, Fiyero slipped into Elphaba's bedroom.<p>

She was lying on her side and for a moment, he thought that she was asleep; but then she opened her eyes and looked at him. "Hey."

"Hey," he said. He sat down in the chair next to the bed, looking at her. "Glin said you needed to talk to me."

She sighed. "Of course she did," she muttered.

"She also said you probably wouldn't want to talk about it," he continued, "which is why she told me in the first place. She wanted to make sure you would tell me."

Elphaba closed her eyes for a moment. She should have seen this coming, but the truth was that she wasn't really prepared for this conversation. Not now. Not with him.

"Fae?" he asked softly, reaching out to stroke her hair. "Are you alright?"

She buried her face in her hands. "No," she whispered. She looked up at him, her chocolate brown eyes wide and doe-like. She slowly pushed herself to a sitting position so that she could look at him without having to crick her neck. He was looking back at her patiently, but she could see in his eyes that he was worried and so she decided to just spit it out.

"I thought I was thirty-one weeks," she whispered, pushing some hair away from her face. "Yero, I… I thought… the Glikkun doctors said that I had most likely fallen pregnant on, or just after, my wedding night."

Fiyero tried not to think about what she and Odron had done on their wedding night – that was not a mental image he wanted or needed. "Okay."

She looked at him as if he were crazy. "My _wedding night_, Fiyero."

"I heard you the first time," he muttered, wincing slightly.

She softened. A little. "Fiyero."

He looked up at her.

"My wedding night was seven months ago," she said. "Thirty-one weeks and a day or two."

He was still staring at her, not understanding what she was trying to say.

"But I'm not thirty-one weeks pregnant," she continued, putting everything together for herself as much as for him, because she still couldn't really believe it. "I'm thirty-five weeks."

"Yes," he confirmed.

"So I must have gotten pregnant _before_ my wedding night."

He looked at her blankly, still not understanding what that meant.

"For Oz's sake, Fiyero," she snapped at him, "do I really have to spell it out for you?! Odron and I never slept together before our wedding night! If I really got pregnant over thirty-three weeks ago, then that means it happened before my engagement was even announced – Odron is not the father of these babies!"

Fiyero's eyes widened. "Wow," he muttered, impressed. He grimaced. "That's going to have political consequences."

"Fiyero!" she cried, frustrated with him. "I know you're not brainless, so would you please just _use _your brain for once?! I hardly think the 'political consequences' are our biggest problem right now!" She moaned and buried her face in her hands again. "Oz, what am I going to do? Yero, I… I'm supposed to marry someone else soon! Now everyone will think this baby – _these _babies," she corrected herself, "are Odron's, and…" She curled into herself and wrapped her arms around her own waist as if to support herself. "I'm so stupid," she whimpered. "I told you I'm a curse – I _told _you!"

"Fae!" He cupped her face in his hands, looking into her eyes. "What in Oz is going on?"

She avoided his gaze. "I only ever slept with one other person beside Odron, Fiyero," she said desperately, meeting his eyes now. "Only one."

His hands dropped from her face and he gaped at her. "Are you saying…"

She gestured towards her stomach wearily. "Meet your children," she said, just the tiniest hint of sarcasm creeping into her voice.

Without waiting for his reaction, she fell back on her side onto the bed and buried her face in her pillow. "Sweet Oz, what am I going to do?"

He carefully touched her shoulder. "Fae –"

"No. Don't feel obligated, Fiyero," she said, her voice muffled by the pillow. "I know, I _know_, that this is a complete mess, but… we'll figure it out. I'll just tell everyone that they're Odron's babies and that I was just early in giving birth, and… and no-one will ever have to know. Just don't ever tell anyone, please? It would ruin you, and your family, if anyone were to find out that I'm carrying your children when we were never even married, and…"

Suddenly, she started sobbing – desperate, heart-wrenching sobs. "I wish you never found me in that bathroom!" she cried, her entire body shaking with sobs. "Why couldn't you just let me die?"

His heart broke, watching her like that. "Don't say that." He sat down on the bed next to her and wrapped her into his arms, holding her close and resting his chin on the top of her head as she buried her face in his shirt, her entire body trembling as she cried.

"Don't ever say that," he whispered. "Elphaba, you have no idea how scared I was when I found you there on that bathroom floor. I've never been so scared in my entire life, and I've never been more grateful than in that moment when your parents-in-law told me that you were going to be okay." He pulled back enough so that he could look into her eyes and he tilted her head back with his fingers under her chin, gently wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"I love you," he told her solemnly. "I love you more than anything in the world, and I'm going to stay with you. We're going to get through this together, Elphaba. Not because I feel obligated to stay by your side, but because I want to. Do you really think I care about the implications if it is revealed that these children are mine and not Odron's?" He shook his head. "You know me better than that."

She was still crying, sobs racking her entire body; and he pulled her close again, dropping kisses on the top of her head.

"Fae," he whispered.

She buried her face in his shirt again.

"Do you love me?" he asked her.

Unable to get any words out right now, she just nodded.

"I love you, too," he whispered, cupping her face. "_A chroí_, I love you so much – and isn't that all that matters? That I love you, and you love me, and that we're together? We'll be fine, Fae. You, and me, and our two kids. We'll be fine."

She looked up at him, her face stained with tears. "Really?"

He gently wiped her tears away and kissed her forehead. "Really."

He stayed with her that night, her sleeping on his chest as he drew soft circles on her stomach with his fingers, thinking about the future.

* * *

><p>"I'm glad you told Fiyero, Elphie." Galinda stirred her tea as she looked at her best friend. "I told you he'd stay with you."<p>

Elphaba sighed. "I know," she said tiredly. "I'm just worried."

"About what?" asked Galinda, taking a biscuit from the small plate on the table. "Fiyero? The birth?"

"Both," Elphaba admitted. "I mean… I've read enough about giving birth to know that it's hardly a walk in the park, and then to give birth to _two _babies… I'm a little scared that something will go wrong, or… I don't know." She sighed. "And Fiyero… I don't want to ruin him and his family," she whispered. "I'm already a disgrace to my own family – I don't want to disgrace his as well..."

"Elphaba Thropp," Galinda said sternly. "Stop talking like that before I decide to throw my teacup at you."

Elphaba would have laughed if the conversation hadn't been so serious. "Glin –"

"No." The blonde shook her head. "I don't want to hear it," she declared. "You are _not _a disgrace, Elphaba – you're not. Just because Frex is the worst father in existence, doesn't mean that you are a bad person, Elphie. Not at all. You're wonderful." She reached out to squeeze her friend's hand. "Fiyero would love to be with you, Elphie, and I know his parents would love to have you, too. You've wrapped them all around your little finger."

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"It's true," Galinda insisted. "I bet they already think of you as a daughter."

Elphaba just sighed and leant her head back, staring up at the ceiling. "I'm just scared, Glin," she said quietly. "I'm afraid of giving birth, of Fiyero leaving me, of his parents hating me, of my father showing up to drag me out of here and to the man I'm supposed to marry… and what if I drag Fiyero and his parents down with me? What if Frex decides that they turned against him, or something like that, by allowing me to stay here, and he tries to bring them down? I just… can't be responsible for that."

"Elphie," Galinda said firmly, "all this worrying isn't good for a girl in your condition. _Calm down_. Stop thinking so much. I told you I'd take care of it and I will."

"How?" asked Elphaba tiredly, and Galinda faltered.

"I don't know that yet," she confessed a bit sheepishly. "But I'll find a way."

The girls lapsed into silence – Galinda sipping her tea as she racked her brain for a solution, Elphaba still staring at the ceiling as she just continued to worry about everything. After a while, the door opened and Fiyero and Lori came in, talking softly about something.

When Lori saw the girls, she smiled. "Hello, Galinda, Elphaba," she greeted them. She looked at Elphaba. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?" she asked gently, and Elphaba sighed.

"Okay, I guess," she replied, and Lori smiled sympathetically at her.

Fiyero plopped down on the couch next to Elphaba. "Lean your back against the arm of the couch," he instructed her. A bit puzzled, she did as he asked; and he whisked her legs up onto the couch, her feet in his lap.

She started protesting at first, but then he started massaging her sore and swollen feet and she closed her mouth and didn't say anything else.

He grinned at her. "Better?"

She sighed contently. "Yeah," she murmured faintly. "Thanks."

"Tip from my mum," he informed her, and Elphaba looked at Lori, who smiled.

"I remember the sore feet," she assured the green girl. "I've been pregnant myself, don't forget that – I've got some tricks up my sleeve… and men are willing to do practically anything for you when you're hormonal," she added.

Fiyero made a face at her, then looked at Elphaba and murmured, so that only she could hear, "You don't have to be hormonal in order for me to be willing to do anything for you, you know."

She blushed and he smiled at her, gently massaging her feet. Gradually, she allowed herself to relax, cradling her teacup between her hands as she closed her eyes for a moment.

Suddenly, Fiyero felt her tense, and he looked at the green girl in concern. "You okay?"

She nodded faintly. "Yeah. Just a hard kick." She tentatively rubbed her stomach. Then she made a face. "I never used to think about the baby kicking," she confessed, "but ever since the doctor told me there's two of them, I keep on wondering which one just kicked me and if the other one might follow soon."

Galinda giggled, which only got worse when Elphaba suddenly gasped, then scowled.

"Was that the other one?" Galinda asked between giggles, and Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Yeah."

"Hi, babies!" Galinda cooed at Elphaba's stomach. "I hope at least one of them is a girl… and if it is, I hope she likes pink."

"Oh, Oz," muttered Elphaba.

"Cuties!" Galinda sang out, poking gently at Elphaba's abdomen. "It's Auntie Galinda! Don't come out yet or you'll scare your Mummy, but I can't wait to meet you!"

"Please stop talking and poking my stomach," Elphaba grumbled, wincing slightly. "They respond to sound and touch, you know. They're currently kicking my intestines to mush."

Galinda quickly retreated. "Oops. Sorry, Elphie."

Elphaba shifted a little, unable to get comfortable; and Lori helped the girl with propping another pillow under her back. "Better?"

"Yes," Elphaba said gratefully. "Thanks. I never seem to be able to get comfortable anymore these days."

Lori smiled. "I remember the feeling."

After a while, Lori and Galinda fell into easy conversation together; and Fiyero watched Elphaba as he gently continued to rub her feet. She seemed more relaxed than before, but she still looked troubled – not that he could blame her. His heart ached every time he looked at her. She'd been through so much…

He studied her – her swollen stomach, the bags under her eyes, the tired look that seemed to be all over her; but he also saw the glow that seemed to be about her, despite everything. He saw the sparkle in her chocolate brown eyes, still there after everything that had happened to her.

He realised that she would be okay. It was like his mother had said – she just needed to regain her faith in herself, in the world and in the people around her… and he intended to help her with that, no matter the cost.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked that!<strong>

**Also, I wrote a new blog post with some fun facts about my original story. Queenofcliffies, followed by that beautiful thing called a dot, then the word 'blogspot', followed by another pretty dot, and then 'nl' :P. (Or you could just go to my profile and click the link there.)**


	9. Sometimes all it takes

**AN: GUYS GUYS GUYS DID YOU SEE MY NEW PROFILE PIC?**

**Sorry, I'm just absolutely in love with it :). Kudos to Sander for making it for me! ^_^**

**As for the story... things will get better. Slowly, but surely. And then everything goes well for a while and then everything falls apart again, just as it always goes with me :D.**

**A small flashback, for severussnapefan123. Next chapter will have a longer one! :)**

**Elphaba'sGirl: Yes, you can always call the Frex Hunters :P.**

**Siarenthander: Sorry, no, I'm not making an instagram :P *whispers* I need to keep on pretending I have a life. Instagram won't help with that. I am on Twitter, though.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 9. Sometimes all it takes<strong>

"Elphaba?" Lori called as she stepped into the library the next morning, looking around searchingly. "Are you in here?"

"Up here!" the young witch called, and Lori made her way up two flights of stairs, to the upper floor of the library. Elphaba was curled up in the window seat, which was large and decorated with several fluffy pillows. Light was streaming in through the window and illuminated Elphaba, making her ebony hair shine and her skin glow almost ethereally.

The girl looked up from her book when Lori approached her and smiled a little. "Hi."

Lori returned the smile. "Hi." She gestured towards the window seat. "Mind if I join you?"

Elphaba shook her head and Lori sat down on the pillows across from Elphaba, looking at the green girl expectantly. "How are you feeling, Elphaba?"

Elphaba made to draw her knees to her chest, then realised that she couldn't because her swollen stomach was in the way. She tucked one leg underneath her instead and pushed her hair out of her face. "I'm okay," she said. "I mean… I've been better, but I'm alright."

"Are you sure?" Lori asked knowingly.

Elphaba sighed. "Emotionally… I'm just a little shaken," she confessed. "I mean, suddenly I hear that I'm not having one baby, but two, and that they could basically be born any moment now…"

Lori nodded sympathetically. "I understand."

"Physically, I'm not doing too great, either," said Elphaba. "I mean – my feet are sore and swollen, my back hurts, I feel dizzy and unbalanced _all the time_, I have to use the bathroom every five minutes…"

Lori chuckled and patted Elphaba's hand. "I feel you," she told the younger girl. "You should have seen me when I was pregnant with Fiyero – by the time I reached nine months, I just wanted to kill someone. Anyone."

Elphaba laughed.

"And even after that, Fiyero made me wait almost two more weeks before he finally showed up," Lori added.

Elphaba smirked slightly. "So he's literally been late for everything ever since he was born?" she queried, and Lori grinned at her.

"Pretty much, yes," she admitted.

Then she became serious again. "How did you sleep?"

"I barely even did," Elphaba muttered with a sigh. "I've been up with Braxton-Hicks contractions nearly all night long."

"You should send someone for me next time," Lori said softly. "I don't mind if you wake me up, Elphaba. I just want to help you – we all do. Plus, I've been pregnant myself. Like I told you, I've got some tricks up my sleeve."

Elphaba smiled faintly. "I'll keep that in mind," she said. "Thank you."

Suddenly, Hamold appeared from between some bookshelves, startling his wife.

"Oz, Hamold!" she cried, looking at him wide-eyed. "Where did you come from?"

"I've been here all this time!" he protested, and Elphaba chuckled softly.

"He was finding some book about Vinkun history for me," she explained as Hamold approached the two women and handed Elphaba a tick, leather-bound book. "I guess this library really is big enough to get lost in."

Hamold smirked and pulled a chair towards the window seat so that he could join the girls. "Did I ever tell you about the time Fiyero got lost in our library?" he asked Elphaba.

She tried – and failed – to stifle her laughter. "No," she said, eyes twinkling with amusement. "But for some reason, that does not surprise me. At all."

Lori laughed. "It was when he was about seven," she explained. "He was looking for Hamold, so I told him his father was in the library. He had never gone there before without one of us with him, but he did that time."

"He couldn't find me," Hamold chimed in. "I was somewhere on the upper floor, searching through books. Apparently he wandered around on his own for a long time, searching for me, then searching for the exit, but he was completely panicked by then and he found neither. He didn't start calling my name until after about two hours. Then I heard him, of course, and I found him between the shelves, crying. He didn't dare set another foot in the library for at least two years after that."

Elphaba grinned. "I can totally see that happening."

She looked at Lori. "Why were you looking for me?" she asked. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Lori reached into her pocket and took out an envelope. "You received a letter today."

Elphaba took the envelope and examined it. Her face immediately turned sombre. "It's from Munchkinland."

"Your father?" Hamold guessed, and Elphaba sighed and nodded reluctantly.

"I guess."

She opened the letter and read it. As she had expected, it was from her father and meant to remind her of the fact that she wasn't supposed to stay at Adurin Iir permanently, because she was promised to another man.

_Your husband-to-be, Lord Derien of Merida, has sent me a letter to inquire about your mental and physical health, _the letter said. _Honestly, I think that man is too good for you and you don't deserve him at all, and I think you're being incredibly selfish and ungrateful right now. I agreed to let you go to the Vinkus because the king and queen of the Glikkus insisted and I did not want to rub them the wrong way; but I think it's time for you to stop being so overdramatic about everything and do what you have to do. You will marry Lord Derien, Elphaba. I will not allow you to disgrace our family any more than you already have._

Hamold scowled indignantly when he read the letter, and Lori covered her mouth with her hand, shaking her head.

"I just can't believe any man could treat his own daughter this way," she said softly. "I'm so sorry, Elphaba."

Elphaba shrugged tiredly and leant her head back against the wall. "I'm used to it," she said honestly. "This is actually less bad than I had expected it. I wouldn't have been surprised if he had said something along the lines of 'next time you try to kill yourself, make sure you actually succeed'." She let out a bitter laugh. "But then again, a mentally unstable green girl in the family might look bad for him as Governor and for Nessa as future Governess of Munchkinland, and we wouldn't want that, now would we?"

Hamold calmly placed his hand on her shoulder. "I'm very sorry about the way your father treats you," he said. "But we will help you."

* * *

><p>"Derien?" Fiyero exclaimed after Galinda had showed him the letter Frex had sent to Elphaba – how she had gotten a hold on it, he didn't know; and he probably didn't <em>want <em>to know, either. "I know him! He lives here in the Vinkus!"

"Merida is in the Vinkus?" Galinda asked in wonder, and Fiyero nodded.

"It's not even too far away from here," he said. "Derien is actually sort of a friend of mine, I guess – we used to hang out together at official gatherings when we were younger. His parents are high officials, so they often came here, to Adurin Iir, for balls and banquets, and things like that. Derien and I and some other boys our age would trudge around the castle, slide down the hallways on our socks and replace the guests' wine with grape juice." He grinned at the memory. "Those were good times."

"Why am I not surprised?" muttered Galinda, shaking her head with a sigh. "Alright, Fifi. We need to come up with a plan."

Fiyero turned towards her, a huge grin on his face. "I have a plan."

"Oh, dear," Galinda muttered, apprehensively taking in the look on his face. "He's going to do something stupid."

"Would you not talk about me as if I'm not even here?" Fiyero said irritably. "And don't be like that. I have good ideas sometimes, and it's not like I'm patented to doing stupid things, Miss Galinda Upland. I think I can think of some examples in which a certain blonde wasn't being too smart, either."

Galinda grumbled something under her breath. "Fine. I get it," she muttered. "Now what's your plan?"

"It's simple," Fiyero assured her. "It's simple, it's not dangerous, and it will hopefully be effective. It starts with a letter from me to Derien."

Galinda raised one eyebrow.

"Followed by a letter from Derien to Governor Frexspar Thropp in Munchkinland," Fiyero continued, "as well as a letter from _me _to Frex."

Galinda suddenly understood. "If you know Derien, and he really is that nice, and you tell him about this whole situation…"

"…and I can get him to agree to not marry Elphaba…" Fiyero took over. "Then he could write to Frex about that, saying that he doesn't want to marry Elphaba, but he knows someone who does…"

"And then _you _write Frex that you're the Crown Prince and blah blah blah, and so you have a high position and you would only add to the Thropp's good name, and you really _do _want to marry Elphaba…" Galinda continued, eyes shining with excitement now. "Everything could be solved!"

"We can most certainly try it," said Fiyero. "There's no guarantee it will work, but until we try, we'll never know."

"It starts with a letter to Derien…" said Galinda, sending a beaming smile in Fiyero's direction.

"And it ends with a wedding," he concluded, returning the blonde's smile. "If everything goes the way it's supposed to, anyway."

Galinda squealed. "Oh! I can't wait to help Elphie pick out her wedding dress! Would you be okay with a green-and-white colour scheme, Fifi?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," he tried to calm her down. He shooed her out of his room and gestured towards his desk. "Let's write that letter first."

"You're right," agreed Galinda. She leant up on her tiptoes to kiss Fiyero's cheek. "Good luck."

"Thanks," he said, closing the door and walking over to his desk, feeing giddy with excitement. This would work, he was sure of it.

It just had to.

* * *

><p>When Fiyero walked past the door to Elphaba's room that night, he decided to just poke his head in and check up on her.<p>

She was sitting at the vanity, brushing her long, wavy, black hair. It flowed down her shoulders and all the way to her waist – it was even longer now than it had been back at Shiz. She was looking at her reflection in the mirror, but she seemed to be lost in thought.

"Fae?" he asked softly and she started, half-turning to her best ability – which wasn't very good, because her stomach was in the way.

"Hi," she said quietly when she saw it was him. Then she turned back to face the mirror, avoiding his eyes.

He went to stand behind her and slowly ran his fingers through her hair.

"Remember that time you tried to cut it?" he asked her, and she chuckled softly.

"How can I not?"

"_What in Oz do you think you're doing?"_

_Elphaba turned from where she was sitting at the vanity. "Galinda is cutting my hair," she said. The blonde waved around with the scissors as proof._

"_But… but..." Fiyero was staring at her wide-eyed. "Why?"_

_Elphaba shrugged. "It will be summer soon," she said. "I figured it would be cooler, not to mention the fact that it always gets tangled and it's a hassle, really. Fiyero, don't look at me like that."_

"_You can't cut your hair!" he said pleadingly. "Fae!"_

_She rolled her eyes. "You're my boyfriend," she reminded him. "Not my babysitter. And right now you're just being overdramatic, so stop it. You can cut it now, Glin."_

_Galinda made to cut through Elphaba's hair; but just then, Fiyero leapt forward and snatched the scissors from the blonde's hands just as they snapped shut. In hindsight, none of them could tell how it had happened, exactly; but somehow Fiyero had turned towards Galinda as he pushed her away, accidentally cutting into the fabric of the blonde's dress._

_Meanwhile, Elphaba was knocked over by the force with which he hit her and she hit her head hard against the wall. _

"_Fiyero!" both girls yelled in anger at the same time._

"_I'm sorry!" he said quickly. "But Fae, I can't let you cut your hair! I love your hair, please, _please _don't cut it? Please? I'll do anything!" he promised._

_Her eyes narrowed. "Anything?"_

_He nodded vigorously. "Anything."_

"_You are going to buy me a new dress," Galinda hissed angrily before Elphaba could even say anything. She glared at the Vinkun prince. "One that looks _exactly _like this one . No, I have a better idea – you're taking me out shopping and I'm going to pick the most expensive dress I can find, and you will buy it for me."_

_Fiyero huffed._

"_You'll do that for her," Elphaba told him sternly. "Other than that, you are going to spend every day for the next week in the library with me, from nine to five, to study – except for when you're having classes, of course. You're going to study, Fiyero, and you're going to pass your finals. All of them. If you fail even only one, then this," she held up a lock of her long hair for him to see, "will all disappear over the summer. Got it?"_

"_Is that all you can come up with?" Galinda said indignantly to her roommate before turning towards Fiyero. "After every study session this week, you are going to take Elphie out to dinner, and you're going to pay for everything. She will come with us on my hunt for a new dress and you will pay for everything that looks good on her. You're also going to buy her flowers – and not a pathetic little bunch, but real flowers, large bouquets of them. Let's see, can we squeeze even more out of this…?"_

"_I think this is enough, Glin," Elphaba interrupted her friend with a smirk, and Galinda sighed and gave in._

"_Fine, then."_

"_So let me get this straight," said Fiyero. "If I spend the next week studying with you, take you on a date every night and pay for them all, buy you lots of flowers, take you girls out shopping and pay for everything you like, and pass every single one of my finals… then you won't cut your hair?"_

_Elphaba was still smirking. "Promise."_

"_Deal," he said immediately._

Elphaba shook her head as she thought of that, smiling. "I still can't believe you did all that."

He shrugged. "Paying wasn't really a hard thing – my parents always gave me all the money I need," he said. "Buying you flowers and taking you on dates were hardly things I disliked, and even the studying wasn't so bad, because every minute I spent studying was a minute with you. Same goes for shopping, even though Galinda practically made that hell for both of us, if I remember correctly. Passing my finals was harder, but I managed, didn't I?"

"You did," she agreed softly. She had been so proud of him when he had passed everything.

She put the hairbrush down and rose to her feet, waddling over to the bed. Fiyero headed for the door.

"I'll leave you to sleep now," he said. "Goodnight. See you in the morning."

He was about to walk out of the room when she called, "Wait!"

He looked at her.

She blushed. "Could you… stay?" she asked hesitantly. "Please?"

He softened immediately. "Of course. I'm just going to change into my nightclothes – I'll be back in two minutes," he promised her.

When he did come back, she wordlessly scooted over a little to make room for him, and he crawled into the bed next to her.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He gently stroked her back, trying to lull her to sleep.

"Anytime, Fae," he said softly. "Anytime."


	10. Is time for memories to fade

**AN: Yes, yes, Frex needs to die, kill him, dance on his grave, I get the message :P. Elphaba'sGirl, I like your plans with him *smirk*.**

**No, Sander, this chapter will not start with "And that night, she went into labour". :P**

**The fluff might last a little bit longer, for a change... but there's a cliffy in this chapter, and there might just be another one in the next.**

**This chapter is for Moreanswers24, for her birthday! (Yay for Twitter ;).) Happy birthday to you, here's an update and a virtual birthday cake. Have fun with Fiyero (the fish, not the prince *smirk*)! ^_^**

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><p><strong>Chapter 10. Is time for memories to fade<strong>

"Yero?" she asked in a whisper after a while.

His fingers played with her hair, skimming over her back. "Yeah?"

"Do you remember…" She closed her eyes for a moment and swallowed. "You know… our… our first time?"

"Do I remember?" He rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. "What kind of question is that? Of course I remember." He kissed the top of her head. "Best night of my life."

Her blush deepened. "Really?"

"Of course."

She remained silent for a while. Then she whispered, "Everything was so perfect back then."

"Everything can be perfect again," Fiyero insisted.

She sighed miserably. "How?"

Fiyero continued to play with her hair as he replied. "Galinda is working on a solution, you know. And so am I."

"Yero…"

"Would you marry me?" he asked suddenly. "If you could?"

Elphaba turned away from him. "It's no use dwelling on the things that might have been, Fiyero," she said, her voice weary. "If there's anything I've learnt in my life, it's that. You know what they say. Every so often we long to steal to the land of what-might-have-been… but that doesn't soften the ache we feel when reality sets back in."

"I've never heard that before," said Fiyero. "Who said that?"

"Me," she muttered.

He actually laughed out loud at that, pulling her closer as he planted a kiss to the top of her head. "Oh, I do love you so very much, Fae." She struggled a little, trying to get away from him, but he caught her around the waist and drew her towards him. "Would you stop it? Everything will only get better from now on, Fae. I promise. For Oz's sake, I'm going to be a father!"

"That's nothing to be happy about," said Elphaba, sniffling a little.

"Fae." He tried to get her to turn around. When she wouldn't, he wrapped his arm around her and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I meant what I told you before," he said quietly. "I don't care about what anyone else might think, Fae." He slipped his fingers into hers and brought their joined hands up to his face, planting a kiss to the inside of her wrist. "All I care about," he kissed her temple, "is that I love you. And that you," he kissed her fingers, "and I," her shoulder, "are going to be parents, Fae." He finally managed to turn her around so that he could look deep into her chocolate brown eyes, convincing her of his sincerity.

"And that," he said softly, "is the most amazing thing in the world."

She eyed him warily. "Really?"

"Of course, really!" He shook his head. "Sweet Oz, Fae, I thought you knew how much I love you! I can't possibly imagine anything more wonderful than having _twins_ with you!" He put his hand over her stomach and cupped her face with his other hand.

"The only thing I regret," he said softly, "is that I wasn't able to be there for you during your pregnancy. But I promise you, Fae – I swear to you on my grandparents' grave – that I'll be there for you from now on. Throughout everything. Unless you tell me to go away, I'll stay here and never let you – or our children – out of my sight ever again."

Eventually, she drifted off to sleep, and she dreamt about their first night together.

"_Fiyero?"_

_He turned and drew her into his arms, leaning down to kiss her softly. "Yes, sweetheart?"_

_She looked up at him through her long, black eyelashes. "Galinda is having a sleepover at Milla's tonight," she said. She blushed a little. "Would you like to… um… stay here?"_

_He smiled. "I'd love that."_

_They sat on her bed together, a little awkward at first. Fiyero tried to distract her with some small talk, asking her about her classes and how her Literature exam went; and soon she relaxed a little._

_When she yawned, he gently urged her to go to bed; and she complied, crawling under the blankets._

_Fiyero hesitated for a moment. She looked up at him, her dark eyes huge in the scarce light. "Aren't you coming?"_

"_Fae…" He slowly climbed into the bed next to her, propping himself up on one elbow as he looked at her a bit worriedly. "Are you absolutely sure about this?"_

_She nodded, holding her breath as she bit her lip._

_He cupped her chin and gently removed her lower lip from between her teeth with his thumb. "It's okay," he whispered, kissing her lips softly. "I'm not going to do anything you're not comfortable with."_

_She kissed him in reply, winding her arms around his neck as she let herself fall back onto the bed, lying on her back with him hovering over her. She sighed softly as he deepened the kiss, encouraging him to be a little bolder and slide his arm around her back to pull her flush against him._

"_I love you," she gasped between kisses, and he smiled and slowly kissed her jaw line and then down to her throat, lower, unbuttoning her nightgown as he went. She was wriggling a little and he pulled back to look at her.  
>"Are you really sure about this?" he asked her one last time.<em>

_There was a mischievous glint in her eyes as she leant up and whipped his shirt off over his head before pulling him down again for a kiss._

_That was all the encouragement he needed._

_He trailed his fingers down her arm afterwards, skimming her hip before turning back to slide up her side, making her shiver. "Are you okay?" he asked her softly._

_She didn't move from where she was curled up in his arms, her head against his shoulder and her eyes already closed. "Mm."_

"_Fae?"_

"_Mm."_

"_That's not really an answer," he pointed out to her, slightly anxious now._

_She half-opened her eyes and when she saw the anguished look on his face, she leant up to kiss him. "I'm fine," she murmured, settling back down, her eyes drifting shut again._

"_Are you sure?"_

"_Fiyero, would you stop ruining the moment and just cuddle with me?" she said almost indignantly, which made him laugh._

_He drew her into his arms and peppered her face with soft kisses. "I love you."_

"_Mm." She turned onto her side to bury her face in the crook of his neck. "Love you, too." She looked up at him for a moment. "It was amazing, Yero," she said softly. She kissed his lips before laying back down again. "You're amazing."_

_They drifted off to sleep together, perfectly content in each other's arms._

She awoke with a start because she heard voices, penetrating the foggy haze of sleep and forcing her to listen. She was confused at first, not sure why someone would be talking to her in the middle of the night; but then she felt the light touch of fingers on her stomach and she distinguished the words, and it suddenly made sense.

"Don't worry, guys," Fiyero was whispering from where he had slid down the bed to level his face with her stomach. He trailed his fingers over the baby bump. "I'm not going to leave you. I know your Mummy still thinks I am, but I'm just going to have to prove her wrong, right?"

She could feel that strange sensation in her stomach that meant one – or both – of the babies was moving, prodding the inside of her abdomen with a foot or an elbow.

"You see," Fiyero continued softly, "your Mummy is the love of my life. And she's been hurt an awful lot, but she's going to be okay. I'll make sure of that." He planted a kiss to her stomach. "Your Mummy is the most amazing person in the world. You'll love her."

He rested his cheek against her baby bump now, lost in thought. "And of course you'll have a pair of great grandparents, and I'm sure Auntie Galinda will love both of you to death as well. We'll pull Mummy through. Don't worry. And you know what?" He made his voice sound conspiratorially, as if he was telling the babies a secret. "She already loves you two. She may not know it yet herself, but I know she does. Everything she did was in an attempt to protect you, even if that seems strange, because she tried to take her own life… but even that, she did for you, in a way. Because she knows what the world is like, how horrible life can be, and she didn't want that for you."

He planted another kiss on the bump. "Don't worry, though. Your Mummy and I are going to make sure you guys will only experience the best from life. Or we're going to try our best, anyway." He smiled and gently prodded Elphaba's stomach, earning himself a kick from one of the babies in return. "From now on," he said softly, "life will be nothing but wonderful – both for you and for your Mummy. Because she deserves that, you know. She deserves to be happy."

One of the babies kicked again.

"Yero?" Elphaba whispered softly, and he raised his head to look at her. He gave her a soft smile.

"Hey."

She sniffled slightly and he immediately pushed himself back up to draw her in his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head as he let her cry into his shoulder. She was sobbing, her entire body trembling and shaking all over, and he rubbed soothing circles on her back.

"Shh," he whispered. "It's alright, Fae, it's okay. Shh, calm down." He pulled away to press a kiss to her forehead. "I love you."

"I know." She choked on another sob. She couldn't really explain to him how she felt. It was just that… she'd known he loved her, he'd told her that many times before; but to hear him talking to their unborn children this way, to hear him saying all those things… it suddenly made her realise how much he really did love her, and what she had almost done by leaving him, by trying to take her own life, by pushing him away.

"I'm sorry," she croaked.

He didn't ask her why. As always, he understood exactly how her mind worked. In the beginning, right after she had come back to the Vinkus with him, he had found it difficult to read her, because she had seemed so different from when he knew her at Shiz and because she had shielded her thoughts and emotions so carefully. Now, however, she seemed to have gotten back to her old self. Still defensive and sarcastic at times, still struggling to hold everything in; but he was the one person that could see through all that and straight into her soul. He always had been that person and he always would be. He knew that because she was the same for him.

Instead, he whispered again, "It's okay," and she knew that he understood her.

He slowly leant forward, resting his forehead against hers. "I love you," he said. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too," she whispered; and that was enough for him to leant further down and capture her lips with his in a soft, gentle kiss. It was their first kiss since Shiz – their first kiss in over eight months. She closed her eyes and melted into his arms, feeling completely safe and peaceful and happy – just for a few moments.

"Yero, we can't," she whispered after a while, pulling away; but he held her tightly, preventing her from going anywhere.

"Do you trust me?" he asked her solemnly.

She looked into his sapphire blue eyes and nodded. Of course she did. How could she not?

He cradled her face between his hands and looked into her eyes. "Then trust me," he said, "when I tell you that I'm going to find a way out of his, one way or another, and we're going to be together forever." He kissed her forehead again. "I promise."

She closed her eyes and he could feel her muscles relax as she curled into him. He tucked her in and held her in his arms, waiting until her breathing evened out before allowing himself to fall asleep as well.

* * *

><p>"Galinda, can I borrow you for a moment?" Fiyero asked politely.<p>

The blonde scowled at him. "I'm talking to Elphie now," she scolded him. "You wait until I'm finished."

Fiyero made big eyes at her and held up an envelope, pointing at it.

Galinda frowned. "What's that?"

Fiyero suppressed a sigh. "Just come with me, please," he said through gritted teeth.

When she just kept on looking confused, he grabbed a sheet of paper from the desk and wrote in large letters _Derien _on it. He held up both pieces of paper, pointing at the envelope, and she finally got the message.

Her eyes widened. "_Oh_!" She leapt to her feet. "I'll be right back, Elphie!" With that, she ran out of the room with Fiyero.

Once alone, she turned towards him, her blue eyes shimmering. "He wrote back?"

Fiyero nodded and made to open the envelope, but Galinda yanked it from his hands and tore it open herself, eyes flying over the words in the letter, drinking it all in as soon as possible.

Then she squealed and threw her arms around the Vinkun prince. "He agreed! Fifi, he agreed! He says he's very sorry about the whole situation and he understands, and he says that of course he'll let you marry Elphaba instead! He writes that he'll send a letter out to Frex as soon as possible!"

Fiyero grabbed the letter back from her and read it, too. Then he picked Galinda up and spun her around, laughing. "He agreed! Glin, me and Elphaba are going to be married!"

"Not so fast," Galinda warned him, suddenly serious again. "Derien wasn't the big challenge – you know him and you said yourself that he is nice. Frex, however, is an entirely different story." She cocked her head a little to the side. "Are you going to tell him about the babies?"

"No." Fiyero shook his head firmly. "If I tell him Elphaba and I slept together at Shiz, when we were not even married, he'll never agree to let me do this."

"But he's going to find out anyway," Galinda pointed out. "I don't assume you're going to keep on pretending the babies are Odron's – or are you?"

He shook his head again. "Of course not. I know it will be seen as a scandal, but hey," he struck a pose, making Galinda giggle, "I wasn't called scandalacious for nothing." He grinned at the blonde. "By the time the public announcement is made, Fae and I will be married and Frex won't have any power over her – or me – anymore."

Galinda squealed and hugged him again. "Oh, Fifi! Go write to Frex right now!" she urged him. "The sooner you and Elphie get married, the better – preferably before she gives birth, right?"

Fiyero grimaced. "I doubt that is going to happen," he said honestly. "I mean, she could go into labour literally any moment now; and we still need a reply from Frex, and then we need to make arrangements for the wedding – it _is_ a royal wedding, after all, the wedding of the heir to the Vinkun throne… I don't think we'll manage to do all that before she gives birth." He smiled at Galinda. "But it doesn't matter. She's staying here, no matter what; and we'll just get married after she's had the twins and regained her strength. I can wait."

"Galinda? Fiyero?" Hamold came into the hallway, looking a little pale. "We need your help."

"Of course." Fiyero stuffed the letter in his pocket and looked at his father inquiringly. "What's going on?"

Hamold looked from Fiyero to Galinda. "Elphaba's water broke," he said. "She's in labour."


	11. Soon all that remains

**AN: *sing-song voice* Fluuuuuuuff, fluff fluff fluuuuuff, fluff fluuuuuuuuuuff! :D No cliffy in this one yet, I changed some things... maybe the next one. Maybe not. Not sure yet.**

**Moreanswers24: I loved your review. Your Fiyero-fish never fails to make me laugh. *hugs back***

**Severussnapefan123: Funny you said that... read this chapter and you'll see why!**

**Woodland59: Your review made me laugh soooooo hard. That should totally be a song! :P**

**Also, I'm going to see Sister Act again next week :D. I'm so excited, I can't wait!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 11. Soon all that remains<strong>

Elphaba was pacing up and down the library. Hamold was sitting in an arm chair, reading the newspaper; Galinda was reading a fashion magazine; and Lori and Fiyero were just watching Elphaba.

The prince leant towards his mother. "Is she even supposed to do that?" he whispered worriedly. "Walking around like this?"

"It can stimulate the labour," Lori explained softly.

"But…" Fiyero looked back at the pregnant green girl. "Why the library?"

"Because I feel more comfortable in libraries than I do in royal chambers," Elphaba herself answered him. She turned around and looked at him. "And I'm already nervous enough as it is. Could someone get me a book?" she almost begged them.

Galinda giggled from behind her magazine. "Oh, Elphie! I know you're nervous, and it's normal to be nervous; but you can't learn how to give birth from a book, you know."

Elphaba sighed and sank down into the window seat. "I know."

Lori had sent for a midwife right after Elphaba's water broke; but the midwife had told Elphaba that it would most likely be at least another twelve hours before she would actually give birth.

"I have to go assist another woman in labour," the midwife had apologised, "but as soon as you start having contractions, Miss Elphaba – painful ones, that is – just call for me and I'll try to be there as soon as possible."

So far, Elphaba hadn't felt any contractions at all – just an increasing feeling of dread and nervousness.

"What if I'll be a horrible mother?" she demanded now in a slightly higher voice than usual. "What if something happens? What if the midwife can't come and I have to give birth all by myself?"

"You'll never have to give birth all by yourself." Lori sat down next to her and squeezed her arm gently. "Elphaba, we're all here for you. I've given birth myself, Hamold was there – we both know how to handle this if need be. You'll be fine, sweetheart, don't worry."

Elphaba sighed. "I guess."

Fiyero sat down with her and took her feet, gently massaging them. "How are you feeling?"

She shrugged. "Strange," she said. "But fine, I guess. I'm not noticing much of a difference. I'm just nervous." She laughed softly and incredulously. "I just can't believe that within twenty-four hours or so, I'm going to be a _mother_."

"And I'm going to be a father," Fiyero muttered.

"I think we all find that even harder to believe," Galinda teased him, and he stuck out his tongue.

"Honestly, though," said Lori, shaking her head. "Of course Hamold and I connected some dots when we found out that you've been pregnant for a few weeks longer than you first thought you were, but to actually hear that _Fiyero _is going to be a _father_? Unbelievable."

"Wait." Elphaba sat up a little, looking alarmed. "You _know_? I didn't tell you, did I?"

"I did," Fiyero told her. "Of course I did. How could I not let my parents know that they're going to be grandparents?"

She looked panicked and Fiyero shifted to sit beside her and pull her into his lap. "Fae, they're fine with it," he assured her. "Naturally, they think we should have waited with doing… that… until we were married… if we ever would have gotten married…" He frowned. "Whatever, that's not the point," he dismissed it. "The point is that they're thrillified to be grandparents, they love you already, and they don't blame either of us for anything." He kissed her temple. "Just relax, Fae."

She looked up at Lori and then at Hamold with wide eyes. "Really?"

"Of course." Lori squeezed her hand. "We'd love to have you as our daughter-in-law, Elphaba, and we can't wait to meet our grandchildren."

"Grandchildren…" Hamold muttered. He shook his head. "I'm way too young to be a grandfather."

Lori rolled her eyes and Fiyero laughed.

Suddenly, Elphaba gasped in pain. Fiyero shot up immediately, worry clouding his blue eyes. "Fae?"

"I… I think that was a contraction," she said, looking a little pale.

Galinda's eyes widened in panic and she tossed her magazine aside. "Should I go and call the midwife?"

Elphaba shook her head. "It's not really painful… yet," she added softly. "It just… took me by surprise." She took a deep breath, then rose to her feet and started pacing again. "Oh my Oz, this is really happening." She pushed her hands through her long, black hair. "I can't do this!"

"Of course you can." Galinda got up to hug her friend. "You'll be fine, Elphie, I promise. Ooh!" Her face brightened. "You'll make me godmother, won't you? I'd love to be godmother! And… they'll call me Auntie Galinda! They'll _love _me!" She bent over to level her face with Elphaba's stomach. "Hey, babies? Please let at least one of you be a girl," she begged. "And if you are a girl, then please like pink!"

Elphaba pushed her friend away. "Galinda!" she scolded her. "Who cares if they like pink?"

"I do!" Galinda defended herself.

Elphaba glared at her. "Yes, well, you're not the one having to go through _labour _within hours!"

"You're right." Galinda hugged the green girl again. "But you should stop worrying about that, Elphie. Look forward to what comes afterwards – you're going to have kids with Fiyero!"

Fiyero went to stand behind the dark-haired witch, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and planting a kiss on her shoulder before resting his chin on it. "You'll be fine, Fae," he assured her softly, taking her hands in his and placing their joined hands on her stomach. He could feel one of the babies kicking and he smiled. "Soon we're going to be parents."

"I know," muttered Elphaba. "That's what scares me."

Galinda discreetly slipped back to her seat, pretending to be absorbed in her magazine once more. Lori and Hamold also sat down somewhere else, giving the couple some privacy.

Elphaba leant back against Fiyero's chest, suddenly feeling tired. "Yero… I don't know if I can do this," she whispered, feeling tears sting her eyes – much to her annoyance. "I can't be a mother – I can't even take care of myself properly!" She wiped her nose with the sleeve of her dress and looked up at him pleadingly, her dark eyes huge and filled with tears. "I'm scared, Yero," she admitted, looking down.

He wrapped her in his arms and kissed the top of her head. "You'll be fine, Fae," he murmured, holding her tightly. "You'll be fine. I know you haven't had the easiest life, sweetheart, but you're okay now. I'm going to stay with you, okay? I'm going to stay by your side forever." He leant down to kiss her gently. "I love you. You can do this, sweetheart, I know you can."

She sniffled. "But –"

"But nothing," he said sternly. He brought his hand up to gently wipe her tears away; then he cupped her face and gazed down into her eyes.

"You can do it," he said firmly. He brought her closer and kissed her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she whispered almost inaudibly, squeezing her eyes shut.

Another contraction hit her and Fiyero felt her tense and wince slightly. "Come on," he said, supporting her with one arm around her waist and clasping her hand tightly in his. "Let's get you to a bedroom, just in case."

"You might want to try and sleep a little before the real thing starts," Lori suggested as she joined the two, helping Elphaba descend the few steps into the hallway. "That way it'll be easier – you'll be more rested."

Elphaba nodded, her nose scrunched up in concentration and discomfort. "Okay."

Fiyero and Lori helped her back to her room and into the bed, after which Lori slipped out again. Fiyero stayed with the young witch until she had drifted off to sleep; then he stepped outside as well.

"Are you sure we shouldn't call the midwife yet?" Galinda asked fearfully, looking at the closed door. "I mean… just in case?"

Lori nodded. "Could you do that, honey?" she asked Galinda. "Tell her not to hurry, but to get here right after she's finished helping that other woman, okay?"

Galinda, nodded, causing her blonde curls to bounce. "Okay." She then all but ran off.

"And what do we do?" asked Fiyero anxiously.

Hamold placed a reassuring hand on his son's shoulder.

"We wait," he said.

* * *

><p>When Galinda came back, out of breath from running, she found Hamold in the downstairs sitting room.<p>

"The midwife can't come right now," she said, panting slightly. "She's still with that other woman – her baby is in a breech position, so it might take another while. She said that we might want to prepare to deliver the babies ourselves." She was looking a little pale. "That's not possible, is it? I mean, I don't know the first thing about labour…"

"Lori does," Hamold assured her. "And believe it or not, but I helped deliver Fiyero when he was born. Elphaba will be fine, don't worry."

"But what if something goes wrong?" Galinda wailed.

Hamold placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Then we'll deal with that, too," he said calmly.

Galinda took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. How's Elphie?"

"Awake," said Hamold. "Her contractions aren't so far apart anymore. She's been walking around to stimulate the labour, but Lori thinks it won't take much longer now."

"Can I see her?" asked Galinda, and Hamold nodded.

"Of course," he said. "She'll probably want you there. I'll come with you."

When they entered the bedroom, they found Elphaba curled up in Fiyero's arms, dozing. Lori was preparing for the birth already, grabbing towels and warm water.

"Hey," Galinda whispered as not to wake the green girl. "How is she?"

"Tired," Lori answered, placing the towels on a side table and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I told her to sleep as much as possible now, between contractions. Giving birth will be hard enough in itself, but to twins…" She shook her head.

"Please don't wake her," Fiyero begged the blonde girl in a whisper. "We only got her to relax enough to fall asleep ten minutes ago – she's been pacing the room for nearly half an hour before that. She's just so _restless_."

"And that surprises you… how, exactly?" asked Galinda pointedly, raising one eyebrow.

Fiyero grumbled something under his breath. "Good point."

"What did the midwife say?" Lori asked the blonde girl softly, and Galinda told her the same thing she had told Hamold.

Lori sighed, but nodded. "Okay," she said. "I would have preferred to have a midwife there, but I can do it myself if need be."

Elphaba squirmed in Fiyero's arms, a hiss of pain escaping her lips as she winced, her eyes opening.

Fiyero rubbed her arms gently. "Contraction?"

She nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yeah."

"Come on, sweetheart," Lori said, extending her arm towards the green girl to help her to her feet. "Let's get you changed into a nightgown."

Elphaba allowed the queen to take her away and Fiyero rose to his feet, running his fingers through his hair. "This is nerve-racking."

Hamold patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Now multiply _your _anxiety by a hundred and you know what _she _is feeling."

Fiyero grimaced.

"She'll be fine, though, won't she?" Galinda asked worriedly.

"Of course." Hamold moved to a chair and sat down. Galinda perched in the window seat and Fiyero sank back onto the bed.

Elphaba came back inside a few minutes later, wearing a nightgown; and Lori ushered everyone out of the room. "I want to examine her for a moment," she said.

Galinda, seeing the fear in her former roommate's eyes, squeezed Elphaba's hand. "You'll be fine, Elphie. We'll be back in a moment, okay?"

"Okay," the green girl whispered.

Hamold led Galinda from the room and Fiyero kissed her forehead. "I love you."

He made to leave, but she caught his hand. "Can he stay?" she asked Lori hoarsely. "Please?"

"Of course." Lori gestured for Fiyero to sit down and he lowered himself into an armchair next to the bed. Elphaba gripped his hand so tightly her knuckles went white as Lori carefully examined her, deliberately acting calm in order to calm Elphaba down as well.

"You're about four or five centimetres dilated, Elphaba," she said when she was finished. "It won't be much longer now."

Elphaba bit her lip and nodded.

"Who do you want to be here?" Lori asked her softly. "When it happens?"

Elphaba swallowed. "I… I don't know." She wrapped her arms around herself and Fiyero immediately moved to sit on the edge of the bed and drew her in his arms.

He kissed the top of her head. "Calm down, Fae," he whispered. "You're going to be just fine."

Lori smiled at them both. "I'm assuming Fiyero is going to stay?"

Elphaba nodded, her teeth chattering slightly – she was just so scared. "Yes. And… and Glin, too."

"Okay." Lori looked at her. "Would you mind Hamold being there as well?"

Elphaba shook her head. "That's fine."

Fiyero pressed a kiss to her temple and settled down next to her, allowing her to burrow into his side. She let out a soft cry of pain at her next contraction; and Lori left for a moment to update Galinda and Hamold and to give the couple some time alone.

Fiyero put his arms around her and murmured in her ear, "I was thinking the other day how much things can change within a short amount of time. About nine months ago, it was announced that you were engaged to be married to another man… and now here we are."

She leant back against him, tired. "It was horrible," she said quietly. "Telling you about it was the hardest thing I've ever done."

Fiyero remembered it like it had only happened yesterday. Everything had moved incredibly fast, and between the announcement of the engagement and the wedding itself, Elphaba had grown more distant and quiet every day. Fiyero had tried to talk to her, but she wouldn't let him in. She retreated into herself and shut everyone out.

And then, when he had gone to find her after their graduation ceremony, he heard that she had been taken away by Frex straight afterwards, to be married to Odron. He'd wanted to attend the wedding; but Frex had insisted the prince would not be invited, and the king and queen of the Glikkus, believing the Governor had a good reason for that, had agreed.

"It really was horrible," Fiyero agreed softly. He tightened his grip on her. "I missed you so much, Fae. Even in the weeks between your engagement and the wedding… you shut me out, and I hated that. I wanted to do something, but –"

"But you didn't," Elphaba finished for him, her voice barely above a whisper. She turned to face him and he saw that her eyes were filled with hurt, even after all this time.

"You let me go," she said. Her voice wasn't accusing, but Fiyero still felt like she had slapped him. "You let me go just like that."

She winced and he tightened his grip around her when she experienced another contraction; but she clenched her jaw and waited it out.

"Is that really what you've been thinking all this time?" Fiyero asked incredulously when the contraction had passed. "That I just walked away from you?"

She blinked. "Didn't you?"

"Fae…" He took both her hands in his and looked at her a bit sadly. "Your father was staying near Shiz during those two weeks," he said softly. "Remember?"

She nodded, looking down.

"I can't even recall the number of times I went to see him," Fiyero said quietly. "I asked him, I pleaded with him; I literally begged him to let you marry me instead of Odron. He turned me away every single time, telling me that Odron's position as a king was higher than mine as a crown prince and therefore, Odron was the one you would marry. He wouldn't listen to me. I went to see Nessarose, I tried to get her to talk to Frex; but she refused to listen as well. She told me she didn't want to defy her father and she said that you'd be happy with Odron."

He looked at her. "I was going to take you away," he said. "I wanted to take you to the Vinkus with me. But you were keeping your distance, pushing me away and shutting me out… and then I talked to Nessa one day and she said…" He closed his eyes for a moment and took a breath. "She said that you hadn't told me this yet, because you didn't want to hurt me; but that you really did love Odron, and you wanted to marry _him_, not me."

Elphaba was flabbergasted.

"That's why I let you go," Fiyero whispered. "Because I thought it was what you wanted, deep down inside. I thought I was doing the right thing to make you happy."

Her eyes filled with tears at that and she sniffled. "I… I never knew," she choked out."I always thought that… that you'd left me…" A single tear made its way down her cheek. "I thought you didn't care…"

"Oh, Fae…" His heart broke. He gathered her in his arms and kissed her, gently wiping her tear away.

"Of course I cared," he whispered to her. "I love you more than anything in the world, Fae. I did back then and I do now. I'm so sorry, sweetheart… I assumed that Nessa was telling the truth, but –"

"Nessa was on Father's side," she said bitterly. "She thought Odron was good for me. She never liked the fact that I was with you, because of your former reputation."

Fiyero closed his eyes for a moment, horrified to realise that this was what she had been thinking all this time. She thought he had just let her go without a fight… she thought he didn't care.

"Oz, I'm sorry, Fae," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," she said softly. "I didn't know… that's not your fault." She sucked in her breath with a sharp hiss when another contraction hit her.

"I'm sorry I doubted you," she said a little breathlessly when the contraction was over.

Fiyero just kissed her temple in reply.

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><p><strong>Favourite lines? :)<strong>


	12. Is proof that you have made it

**AN: I had a really hard time writing this chapter. I wanted to make it realistic, but not too dramatic... I hope I succeeded, but I'm not sure.**

**PerlogAnnwyl: Wow. O.o That is creepy! And no, I don't know the show, so it wasn't a reference ;). Not an intentional one, anyway.**

**Moreanswers24: Nessaroseness... :')**

**Olaf the Snowman: *curtsies* Your wish is my command!**

**Happy Fae: Hi! ^_^ Nice to have another reviewer, and I'm so glad you like the story!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 12. Is proof that you have made it<strong>

Not long thereafter, Lori came back and allowed the others back inside as well.

Galinda immediately moved to Elphaba's other side, taking the green girl's hand and squeezing it. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm being torn in two," Elphaba grunted through clenched teeth.

Galinda bounced. "I can't wait to meet your kids, Elphie!"

"I can't wait for this contraction to pass so that I can punch you!" Elphaba replied with a scowl.

The blonde giggled. "Oh, Elphie, just relax, okay? You can squeeze my hand if you want to. You're doing great, you're almost there!"

"I'm not even fully dilated yet!" Elphaba protested. "I'm not 'almost there', I just got started!"

Galinda waved her hand. "Details."

Elphaba squeezed her eyes shut as another contraction hit her. "Someone please punch Galinda for me."

Lori laughed. "She's right, though, sweetheart – you're doing great. Just hold out a little bit longer and then you can start pushing, okay?"

Elphaba nodded and gritted her teeth. "Okay."

Galinda started chattering at her, trying to talk her through the whole thing. At every contraction, Fiyero let her grip his hand tightly and nearly crush it in her grip as he whispered soothing and encouraging words in her ear until it was over.

After a while, Lori motioned for Hamold to come closer and said to Elphaba, "Alright, honey, you're going to have to push now. Don't worry, it'll be over before you know it," she tried to reassure her.

Elphaba grumbled something unintelligible, and Lori laughed. "Try to breathe like I taught you," she advised the young soon-to-be mother, "and try to save your strength for the actual pushing. You'll be fine, Elphaba. I promise. Now, take a deep breath and wait for the next contraction. Push whenever you feel ready."

Elphaba already knew that Lori had been lying when she said it would be over before she knew it; but to be completely honest, she hadn't been prepared for _this _much pain. Galinda was still talking to her, gripping her hand tightly as she told her former roommate that she would be fine, that she was doing great and that Galinda was proud of her. Elphaba, for her part, just squeezed both Fiyero and Galinda's hands to mush as she gritted her teeth and pushed.

"Wonderful, Elphaba," said Lori, smiling at the younger woman. "You're doing great. On the next contraction, I need you to push again. Can you do that for me?"

Elphaba nodded, clenching her jaw and squeezing her eyes shut as she prepared to push again. Fiyero swiftly moved to sit behind her, allowing her to brace herself against him when another contraction ripped through her.

She pushed again, crying out in pain. Lori and Galinda encouraged her and Fiyero nuzzled her hair, whispering sweet nothings in her ear; but it did very little to ease her anxiety and discomfort.

"I hate you," she hissed at Fiyero.

Confusion and hurt flashed across his face for a moment. "What?" he said, slightly baffled. "Why?"

"Don't take that personally," Lori advised him. "This is pain and hormones talking. Elphaba, push!"

She did, screaming in pain. "For… for _doing _this to me!" she snapped at Fiyero once the contraction was over. "It _hurts_!"

He just kissed her temple and tightened his grip on her. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I really am."

She groaned, squeezing her eyes shut against the pain. "You're not supposed to apologise!" she protested hotly. "You're supposed to get mad at me so that I have an excuse to yell at you!" She just felt exhausted, hormonal and uncomfortable; and for some reason, that made her want to scream at someone. Anyone.

Fiyero squeezed her hand gently. "So yell at me, if that makes you feel better," he said. "I don't mind."

"I can't yell at you when you're being so sweet!" she snapped. "It makes me feel like a horrible person!"

"How about you don't yell at all," Lori suggested drily, "and save your strength for giving birth?"

Before Elphaba could reply to that, another contraction hit her. She gasped and tightened her grip on Fiyero and Galinda's hands.

"I can see the head!" Lori said excitedly, and Fiyero's eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Come and see for yourself," his mother said.

Fiyero dropped a kiss on the top of Elphaba's head and then slowly moved away from her and towards his mother. He sucked in his breath, eyes widening. "Oh my Oz, Fae! I can see the head!" He sounded like a little boy on Lurlinemas morning, excited and eager, with awe written all over his face.

"Just a few more, Elphaba," Lori said, smiling, "and then you can hold your son. Or daughter," she corrected herself when Galinda threw her a look.

"Please be a girl," Galinda begged the baby in a whisper. Elphaba just gave her a murderous look.

Fiyero hurried back to the green girl's side as she pushed again. And again.

"Okay Elphaba, one more!" Lori called, eliciting excited squeals from Galinda. Elphaba, however, just blanched even further.

Tears streaming down her face, she cried, "I can't do this!"

"Yes you can." Fiyero held her tightly, allowing her to bury her face in his neck. "You can do it, Fae. You're almost there. Just one more push."

She took a few deep, shuddering breaths, and he encouraged her. "That's it, sweetheart, that's it… you're doing great. Okay, are you ready? Now push. You can do it, Elphaba, I know you can. Just push. One more push and we're parents, Fae."

She hissed in pain when she pushed again, but she _did _push again… and then the most amazing sound in the world filled her ears.

The sound of a baby crying.

Elphaba tried to push herself to a sitting position to see, but Lori already held up the baby. "It's a girl!"

Galinda's squeals were loud enough to drown out even the baby's loud wails.

Lori placed the small girl on Elphaba's chest, and she couldn't help but cry when she touched her daughter – _her daughter!_ – for the first time. "Hi, baby girl," she whispered.

She was a pretty baby, tiny and perfect, with – thank Oz – fair skin. Elphaba could already see that the girl's hair would be dark, like her own, and that she had Elphaba's long limbs and large eyes; however, she could definitely distinguish Fiyero's features in the baby's small face. _And_, Elphaba thought as she studied her daughter, _she even looks a bit like Nessa._

As soon as the baby's skin touched her mother's, she quieted down considerably. Her eyes, previously scrunched up as she wailed, now opened; and Elphaba saw that they were already the same, stunning sapphire colour Fiyero's eyes were. She knew children's eye colour could change in time, but she could already tell that this baby's eyes were going to stay blue.

She could almost _feel_ Fiyero smiling widely beside her as he reached out to touch the baby's tiny hand with his finger. His daughter's fingers immediately wrapped around his and he held his breath, tears in his eyes.

He rested his forehead against Elphaba's temple. "She's beautiful, Fae." He kissed her cheek. "Just like her mother."

"Do you have names picked out already?" asked Galinda excitedly.

Elphaba and Fiyero shared a look. "We do," said Fiyero. He looked at the green girl beside him. "Do you want to tell them now, or do you want to wait?"

Elphaba shook her head. "You can tell them," she said, still playing with her tiny daughter's fingers.

Fiyero looked at his mother as he revealed proudly, "Eleonora. Eleonora Melena Tiggular."

Lori, obviously touched by the gesture, looked at the pair, eyes wide with disbelief. "You… you named her after _me_?" she stammered.

Fiyero shrugged modestly. "I know that Eleonora was the name of most queens in your bloodline, Mum," he said. "And after me, she's next in line for the throne… Fae wanted to stick to our family traditions."

Lori took Elphaba's hand in her own and squeezed it. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

Elphaba smiled tiredly. "You're welcome."

Hamold, looking suspiciously misty-eyed as well, placed a hand on his son's shoulder.

Galinda was beaming. "Are you going to shorten it to something?" she wanted to know eagerly.

"Neorah," said Elphaba. She wasn't sure why, but as soon as she saw her daughter's face for the first time, she knew that was what she would be called. It just seemed to fit.

Immediately, Galinda started cooing at the baby. "Hi, Norrie!"

Elphaba grimaced. Fiyero muttered, "What have we done?"

"Come on," said Lori, trying to regain her composure. She quickly wiped the tears away and held out her hands. "I'll clean her."

Elphaba was reluctant to let her daughter go so soon, but she still handed her over to Lori, knowing Neorah would have to be cleaned first. Another contraction suddenly gripped the green girl and she gasped – in all the excitement she had almost forgotten about the second baby.

"Alright, we're going for number two," said Lori. She hesitated for a moment, unsure who to give the baby to.

"Let her godmother clean her," said Elphaba, gesturing to Galinda.

Tears immediately sprung to Galinda's eyes and the blonde clamped one hand over her mouth, astonished. "Oh, Elphie… really?"

Elphaba cracked a smile. "Seriously, you silly blonde," she teased her friend. "Who else would be godmother?"

Galinda squealed softly and took Neorah from Lori, moving to the dresser in the corner of the room to clean the baby with some soft towels, cooing at her newborn godchild all the while.

"Now, Elphaba, are you ready for the next one?" asked Lori.

Elphaba grimaced in pain. "No."

"Think about Neorah," Fiyero whispered in her ear. "She was worth it, wasn't she?"

"She was," Elphaba acknowledged immediately.

"Good." Fiyero squeezed her hand softly. "Then let's give her a sibling."

She glared at him. "That's easy for you to say," she grunted. "You're not the one having to push said sibling out of your body!"

She cried out at the next contraction and Lori urged her to push. She obeyed, bracing herself against Fiyero again. The pain was blinding, agony like she had never felt before; but she thought of Neorah, her _daughter_, and pressed on. Fiyero was right – their daughter had been worth it, and this second baby would be worth it, too.

It took much longer this time. Elphaba pushed for what felt like an eternity, but there was still no baby in sight; and she was quickly losing her energy.

"Galinda," said Lori calmly, "could you run and see if the midwife is available now? I think we might need her."

The blonde girl nodded quickly, handed Neorah over to Hamold and hurried off.

Fiyero's eyes were wide. "Why?" he demanded. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure," Lori said with a sigh. "I think the baby might be in the wrong position, but I can't be sure – it could just be taking longer. Every delivery is different. I may have experience in giving birth, but I'm not an expert."

They waited. The contractions were agonising, and Elphaba soon found herself sobbing in pain, burying her face in Fiyero's shoulder.

"I can't do this!" Despair was written all over her face, her eyes were wide and scared and she was whimpering. "Fiyero, please," she begged him in a small voice. "Make it stop. Please, Yero…"

It broke his heart to see her like that. "Can't you do something?" he demanded of his mother, a little bit too sharply. "Something to speed this whole thing up, or to ease her pain, or to get her to relax… anything at all?"

"I don't know, Yero," said Lori tiredly. She pushed a strand of hair out of her face. She looked exhausted, and Fiyero realised that this wasn't easy for his mother, either.

Hamold approached, his newborn granddaughter in his arms. "Elphaba?"

Her face stained with tears, she looked up. Hamold gently placed Neorah, bundled up in a soft blanket, in the green girl's arms. The baby was asleep, eyes closed, fingers clenched to tiny fists. Elphaba's sobs died down for a moment as she reached out and slowly traced her daughter's features with her finger.

"That's what you're doing it for," Hamold said solemnly. Another stab of pain shot through Elphaba's body and she winced, all her muscles tense. Hamold quickly took the baby girl back from her, but his eyes remained on Elphaba.

"You can do this, Elphaba," he said. He nodded at Neorah. "For her."

The green girl nodded, tightened her grip on Fiyero's hand and gritted her teeth. When she felt another contraction, pure instinct made her push again.

Hamold swiftly moved out of the way with the baby. Fiyero gave his father a watery, but grateful smile, and Lori briefly kissed his cheek as he moved by.

"Well done," she whispered to him. "That was just what she needed."

Her husband smiled at her and sat down in an armchair in the corner, out of everyone's way, to admire his granddaughter.

Suddenly, Lori's eyes widened. "I can see the head!" she exclaimed.

Fiyero let out an incredulous, but relieved laugh. "It was about time!"

"Looks like we won't need the midwife after all." Lori smiled. "You're almost there, sweetheart. Then you'll have two beautiful children."

Elphaba squeezed Fiyero's hand, and he squeezed back. He rested his forehead against her temple.

"I love you," he said softly.

The only answer he got was a groan when Elphaba pushed again.

Just then, the door opened and Galinda came in, closely followed by the midwife. The blonde immediately moved to Elphaba's side again, taking her friend's hand.

"We're here, Elphie!" she sang out. "You're going to be perfectly fine, and so will your cute little babies! Oh!" She gasped when she saw Neorah in Hamold's arms. "Did Norrie grow since I last saw her?!"

"You saw her an hour ago," Fiyero pointed out with a sigh.

Galinda dramatically put a hand over her heart. "They grow up so fast!"

No-one even dignified that with a response.

The midwife took Lori's place, giving Elphaba a reassuring smile. "It's all going to be okay, Elphaba, trust me. I'm just going to deliver this little darling, and then I'm going to give them both a thorough check-up, alright?"

Elphaba nodded, eyes squeezed shut in pain as tears trickled down her cheeks. Galinda was still squeezing her hand and Fiyero had put one arm around her, whispering soothing words in her ear.

"Those were the shoulders!" the midwife announced after Elphaba pushed again.

Galinda squealed. "Is it a boy or a girl?" she asked excitedly.

"Give us a few more moments and then we'll know." The midwife looked at Elphaba again. "You're almost there."

Elphaba clenched her jaw, tired of everyone saying that all the time, but knowing it was true now. Just a little while longer and she'd be a mother of two children. It seemed too crazy to believe, but it was true.

"Push!" the midwife instructed her, and she did.

This baby didn't cry when she came into the world, and the midwife immediately laid the tiny girl down on a clean towel on the dresser and started working on her. A few moments later, a thin, high-pitched wail broke the tense silence that had fallen over the room.

The midwife turned around with a smile and put the new baby on Elphaba's chest, like Lori had done with Neorah before. "Congratulations, Mummy," the midwife said brightly. "It's another healthy little girl."

Galinda's squeals could have shattered glass.

The midwife took the new baby girl back and cleaned her, after which she examined both newborns. They were small and slightly premature, but, the woman assured them as she placed one baby in Elphaba's arms and the other in Fiyero's, they were both completely healthy.

As everyone gushed over the babies, Fiyero looked at his mother. "Thanks, Mum."

Lori smiled at him. "My pleasure, Yero," she said, clearly emotional, but happy. "My pleasure."

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><p><strong>Please let me know what you think?<strong>


	13. Through the restless night

**AN: Hi, guys! ... I really don't have anything to say in this AN, for a change... except for "thank you for the reviews" and "OMO I'm so excited to go see Love Story the day after tomorrow"... so I'll just get on with it :P.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 13. Through the restless night<strong>

Elphaba was exhausted, but she insisted on cleaning up a little before resting; and so Hamold and Galinda left the room while the midwife helped Elphaba clean up and put her into a fresh nightgown. Meanwhile, Lori changed the sheets and Fiyero took care of the babies.

Lori had a crib brought in – Fiyero's old crib, since Elphaba and Fiyero hadn't exactly had the chance to go nursery shopping yet – that was big enough to hold both babies. However, neither Fiyero nor Elphaba was willing to let go of their newborn daughters. After making sure the pair had everything they needed, Lori and the midwife left, too, giving the new family some privacy.

Fiyero crawled onto the bed next to Elphaba with one baby cradled in his arm. Elphaba was holding Neorah; and when she looked up at Fiyero, he couldn't help but grin widely at the amazement and wonder he saw shining in her eyes.

He leant forward and kissed her tenderly, trying to convey everything he felt through that kiss. "You were amazing," he whispered. "I'm so proud of you."

Elphaba just smiled tiredly.

Fiyero kissed her temple. "Do you want me to take them both? If you want to sleep…"

She shook her head. "I'm exhausted," she admitted, "but I couldn't possibly sleep right now." She looked down and a smile slowly spread across her face again. "I mean… look at them, Yero."

He smiled widely. "I know." He stroked their daughter's cheek. "Hi, princess," he cooed softly.

The baby just yawned.

He looked at Elphaba. "Luanna?" he questioned, speaking out the name they'd had in mind if the second baby would be a girl as well.

"It suits her, doesn't it?" Elphaba agreed softly.

"And her second name?" Fiyero asked. They had picked out boys' and girls' names a while ago; and although they had agreed on the names they liked best, they had wanted to actually see the babies before they would make a definitive decision.

Elphaba allowed Luanna to grasp her finger in her sleep, tiny fingers clenching around her own. "I think that one suits her, too."

Fiyero nodded. "We'll tell the others later."

"Yeah." Elphaba put her head on Fiyero's shoulder and together, they watched their children. Despite the fact that they were twins, there were already obvious differences between them. Neorah clearly had dark hair, while Luanna's hair was a lighter colour. They were both fair-skinned, much to Elphaba's relief, and they were small; but Luanna was a little bigger than her sister.

"Luanna is a Tiggular," Elphaba stated. "She looks like you and your dad… and a bit like your mother, too."

"Mm." Fiyero cocked his head a little to the side. "But Neorah is a Thropp."

Elphaba shook her head. "She has your eyes," she pointed out. "And your nose and chin. I guess she's a little bit of both." She snuggled into Fiyero's side, unable to keep her eyes off her daughters. "They're perfect."

Fiyero kissed the top of her head. "They take after you, then."

Too tired to argue, Elphaba just made a non-committal noise in her throat, her eyelids drooping. Fiyero gently took Neorah from her and rose from the bed. He put the twins in the crib together, smoothing some small wisps of hair away from their foreheads. They both slept on and he climbed back into the bed with Elphaba, pulling her into his arms.

She protested weakly. "The twins…"

"Are right over there, barely a metre away from you." He kissed her forehead softly. "I'll keep an eye on them, Fae, I promise. You can go to sleep."

"But –"

"Elphaba." He pulled one of the pillows out from underneath her back, gently pushing her down. He looked into her eyes sternly. "Sleep."

She murmured something unintelligible, but she was already drifting off.

Fiyero watched her sleep for a while, his mind reeling with everything that had happened. He was a father. He and Elphaba had created these two beautiful little girls together… he could barely believe it.

He looked at her sleeping form and he just couldn't help the huge grin that spread across his face. He really thought his heart might burst with joy. Here was the most special, wonderful, intelligent, sweet and beautiful person in all of Oz, sleeping in his bed. She was all his and he was all hers. Soon they would be married. She'd given him the most beautiful and adorable little girls in existence. He honestly couldn't be happier.

His mother sneaked into the room after a while, looking at the sleeping twins for a few moments, clearly touched by the adorable picture they made, before she looked at her son.

"Just checking up on you," she whispered. "How is she?"

"Tired, but fine," answered Fiyero. He nodded at the babies. "Them, too. And me, too, I guess."

Lori smiled. "I understand." She looked at the babies again. "Galinda is dying to know the name of Neorah's sister."

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "Of course she is," he grumbled good-naturedly.

Lori laughed softly. "So… are you willing to share?"

He told his mother about the name, which pleased her. "Galinda will love it. Go tell her – you should do it yourself. I'll stay with the twins."

She sat down in a chair and Fiyero quietly left the room, crossing the hallway into the sitting room beyond. Two pairs of expecting eyes were raised to look at him.

"Everything and everyone is fine," he hastened to assure them all. "Fae and the kids are asleep, but Mum told me that someone here is desperate to know the name of her second godchild, so…"

Galinda held her breath, hands clasped together, eyes shining. "And?"

"Her name is Luaxanna," said Fiyero. "Luanna for short."

"Luaxanna…" Galinda mulled the name over in her head, then nodded. "I like it," she decided. "Where did it come from?"

"It's what Melena – Fae's mother – wanted to name Nessarose at first," Fiyero explained. "Apparently she'd read it somewhere in a book and she loved it, only the Governor didn't agree and so they found themselves another name which they both liked. But Elphaba remembered that her mother really loved the name Luaxanna, and so we wanted to honour her. Again," he added when he remembered that Neorah's second name was Melena. "Fae thought it was a pretty name, and I agreed, so…"

"Little Norrie and little Lu." Galinda heaved a happy sigh. "It's perfect."

"It is," Hamold agreed. "What's her second name?"

"Galinda," said Fiyero.

The blonde looked up, slightly confused. "Yes?"

Fiyero had to smile at that. "No," he clarified. "Her second name is Galinda."

Galinda's eyes widened and she pressed a hand to her mouth.

"After her doting godmother and her parents' very best friend in the world," Fiyero declared with a smile. "Luaxanna Galinda Tiggular."

Galinda's eyes were filled with tears. "Wha-… I mean… you… I… they… really?" she stammered, clearly unable to believe it.

Fiyero hugged her briefly. "Really," he said. "You're Elphaba's best friend, Glin, and you're like a sister to both of us. We know you're going to take your role as Auntie Galinda very seriously and so we wanted to honour you, too."

"Eleonora Melena and Luaxanna Galinda Tiggular," Hamold mused aloud, trying out the sound of the names. "Neorah and Luanna for short. I love it," he declared. He grinned and rose to his feet to tackle his son in a bear hug. "Sweet Oz, Fiyero, you're a father!"

"I know!" Fiyero knew that he was wearing that idiotic grin again, but he couldn't care less. He was absolutely certain that he was the happiest man alive right now.

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><p>When Elphaba awoke a few hours later, she found herself curled up against Fiyero's leg. The prince himself was sitting up, cooing at the baby he was holding – Neorah, Elphaba saw. She blinked sleepily and looked around her, only to locate Luanna nearby, in the arms of her clearly very excited, yet suspiciously quiet godmother.<p>

"Elphie! You're awake!" Galinda whisper-squealed when she saw that her friend's eyes were open. She beamed at the green girl. "Oh, Elphie, I'm so honoured that you named little Lu after me! And that you made me godmother… they're so adorable, I love them, thank you so much!" she gushed.

Fiyero snorted a soft laugh. "You talk like they're a gift from Fae to you for your birthday, or something."

"Well, they _are _a gift," Galinda insisted.

"But they're not for you, and it's not your birthday," Fiyero added drily.

Galinda glared at him. "I'm going to forgive you purely because you have been partially responsible for creating my perfect godchildren," she grumbled. "As long as you keep in mind that that is the _only _reason I forgive you."

"Fair enough." Fiyero smirked at her. His smirk turned into a smile when he looked at the drowsy green girl next to him. "How are you feeling?"

She yawned. "Still tired," she admitted. "But that's fine."

He kissed the top of her head. She pushed herself to a sitting position and held out her hands; and Fiyero handed Neorah over to her.

"Hi, sweetie," she whispered, stroking the baby's cheek. "Was Daddy nice to you?"

"Should I be offended?" Fiyero asked teasingly.

She smirked at him. "Maybe."

Galinda, meanwhile, had started singing to Luanna. "Hush, little baby, don't say a word; Auntie's gonna buy you a pi-ink dress! And if that pink dress doesn't fit, Auntie's gonna buy you… jewellery! And –"

"Galinda," Fiyero interrupted her. "The point of lullabies is usually that they rhyme."

"I know," the blonde said with a toss of her hair, "but why in Oz would I buy my godchildren birds and looking glasses and goats, like in the original song? What is a baby supposed to do with a mockingbird?"

"What is a baby supposed to do with jewellery?" Elphaba retorted from the bed.

Galinda scowled. "Shut up, Elphie."

Fiyero and Elphaba both laughed.

Neorah yawned, and Elphaba's heart melted. She couldn't believe she was actually a mother now. Not only that – she was with the one man she loved more than anything in the world, with her best friend and the sweetest parents-in-law she could ever wish for. She didn't think she'd ever felt happier in her life than she did now.

If only it could last.

Fiyero saw her face fall and he gently took Neorah back from her, placing the baby in the crib. "Glin?" he asked the blonde in a hushed voice. "Could you leave us alone for a moment?"

Galinda looked at Elphaba and, recognising the worried look in her best friend's eyes, her own eyes softened. "Of course." She lied Luanna down next to her sister and kissed Fiyero's cheek. "I'll tell your parents not to disturb you for now, okay?"

Fiyero flashed her a grateful smile. "Thanks."

Galinda tiptoed out of the room, and Fiyero settled back down next to Elphaba, turning to her and looking into her eyes.

"Alright," he said. "Spill."

She spluttered for a while, but he shook his head. "I know you, Fae, and I know that look in your eyes. What are you worrying about?"

She sighed and conceded. "Just…" She sighed again. "Everything." She bit her lip. "I know you asked me to trust you," she said quietly, "and don't get me wrong – I do. I really do. But… but it remains a fact that I'm supposed to be marrying someone else, and now with the babies… no-one can know they're yours, Fiyero. I have to keep pretending they're Odron's children, and I have to marry a man I've never met before in my life. Things just can't stay the way they are now, no matter how badly I want them to. I love you, and I want nothing more than to be with you, but it just can't happen."

"Oh, Fae." He drew her into his arms. "If I'd known you were still worrying about this, I would have told you… but then again," he said with a small laugh, "I should have known you wouldn't be reassured by me telling you to trust me, because I would work it all out." He pulled away slightly to look at her. "Well," he said, "I _did _work it all out. Galinda and I, we've been arranging some things, _a chroí_. Things you didn't know about."

He told her about the plan he and Galinda had come up with and explained to her his relationship with Derien, the letter he had written and the response he had gotten. He also informed her that both he and Derien had written to Frex, asking him if Fiyero would get his permission to marry Elphaba.

Elphaba was speechless.

Fiyero took her hand. "I told you," he said. "I told you Glin and I would take care of it, and we're doing just that. Don't worry."

"Yero…" She brought her hand up to touch his face. Her eyes softened. "I appreciate what you've been trying to do," she said quietly. "You have no idea how much that means to me. But… but it's not going to work, Fiyero. My father will never agree. He doesn't want me to be happy…"

"I know he doesn't care about you," Fiyero agreed, "though that is something I will never understand. But I don't think he would purposefully try to make you unhappy. I think that as long as you're out of his way, preferably not doing anything to 'disgrace' him," he used his fingers as quote marks, "he doesn't really care what you're doing or where you are."

"How can you be so sure?" Elphaba asked miserably.

He just kissed her forehead softly. "I have faith," he said simply. "And you should, too."

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><p><strong>As I said before, I'm not going to fill this story with crazy things happening (though some things <em>will <em>happen later on); and it moves a little slowly, I guess. Just so that you've been warned.**

**Virtual cupcakes if you review! :)**


	14. Back into the light

**AN: A nice, fluffy chapter for all of you.**

**The Wizard Of Wicked: I love how you (probably accidentally) wrote everything with a capital E. You literally stopped Everything to read the new update on Everything. :P**

**Elphaba'sGirl: honestly? No killing, kidnapping, threatening, torturing, plaguing, Wizard, Frex, Odron zombies or baby boo-boos? Then what in Oz am I supposed to do? Wait... I could still make someone sick. Or get someone's limb chopped off, or something. Heheh. (In other words: I'm not promising anything.)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 14. Back into the light<strong>

Despite Elphaba's protests, the midwife told her sternly to stay in bed as much as possible for the next few weeks.

"Elphaba, listen to me," she'd said. "You just gave birth to premature twins. The delivery was anything but easy, and even though there's no lasting damage done and the babies are both fine, you shouldn't underestimate the effect this has had on your body. You have all these wonderful people around you who are more than willing to take care of you for some time. I suggest you let them."

Elphaba had grumbled and complained, but the midwife had insisted; and much to everyone's surprise, Elphaba actually stayed put.

Fiyero, Galinda, Hamold and Lori made sure she rested as much as possible. Hamold would bring her books, Lori would come to chat with her, Galinda often stopped by to gush over the babies and Fiyero almost never left her side at all. At some point, however, Fiyero and Galinda both disappeared for an entire day, leaving Elphaba worried.

"Where were you?" she asked Fiyero when he came back to have dinner with her that night. "Not that I need you to stay here and take care of me all the time," she added quickly. "I was just wondering."

Fiyero chuckled and kissed her. "Nowhere," he said with a mysterious smile.

He then proceeded to scoop up both his daughters in his arms, dancing around the room with them and singing a silly song.

The next day, however, he was gone again when Elphaba awoke; and again, he and Galinda did not return until nightfall. Elphaba noticed that Hamold also stopped coming by, and she was confused.

"What are they doing?" Elphaba demanded of Lori the next morning, when they had disappeared _again_. The green girl was propped up on the bed in a sitting position, feeding Luanna. "It's not that I mind them being gone, or something…"

"Yes, you do," Lori said with a knowing smile.

Elphaba made a face. "Okay, yes, I do," she conceded. "A little. But that's not the point. The point is that I have no idea what they're even doing!"

"Trust me," Lori said, still smiling. "You'll forgive them both once you see what they've been up to."

"And when will I see that?" Elphaba wanted to know a bit impatiently.

Just then, Fiyero poked his head around the door. "See what?" He smiled when he laid eyes on Elphaba and Luanna and leaned forward to kiss his daughter's forehead, then his wife's lips. "Morning, my princesses. Sleep well?"

Elphaba scowled. "I'm not a princess."

_You might be, soon. _Fiyero was tempted to say it, but he didn't. He knew she still didn't believe that Frex would agree to let Fiyero marry her; and honestly, Fiyero himself couldn't be sure of that, either. He didn't want to get her hopes up; but then again, he knew that even if Frex were to refuse, Fiyero would find a way to be with Elphaba, no matter what.

He lifted Neorah from her crib, cooing at her as he nestled her in the crook of his arm.

"How's it going, Yero?" Lori asked her son, obviously knowing something Elphaba didn't.

Fiyero grinned at his mother. "It's all done."

Lori held her breath, clearly excited. "Really?"

Fiyero nodded. "Which is why I'm here." He smiled at Elphaba. "When you're ready, I'd like to show you something."

She eyed him suspiciously. "Does this have something to do with you and Galinda disappearing on me all the time?"

"Maybe." He watched as Elphaba finished feeding Luanna and laid the baby against her shoulder, patting her back. He laid Neorah back in her crib; then he held out his hands and took his other daughter from Elphaba, stroking Luanna's cheek and making silly faces at her before putting her back in the crib with her sister.

"You can keep an eye on them for a moment, can't you, Mum?" he asked Lori.

"Of course," said Lori. "I'll stay right here. "

"Good." Fiyero offered Elphaba a hand as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and pushed herself to her feet. Once she was standing, he slipped his arm around her waist and took her hand in his, squeezing it. "Can you walk?"

She glared at him. "I'm not an invalid. I've been walking up and down to the bathroom a billion a day for the past few weeks, remember?"

He wisely kept his mouth shut. Instead, he just led her from the room and into the hallway, around a corner, stopping in front of the door she recognised as being the door to his bedroom. He hadn't spent much time there, sleeping in her room almost every night; but he'd shown it to her in the beginning.

He smiled at her. "Ready?"

She nodded and he let go of her with one hand to swing open the door. "Tadaa!"

Her face lit up.

The room was completely re-decorated. She knew Fiyero's room consisted of a sitting room, with an adjoining bed- and bathroom; and he even had a large study all to himself. When they walked through the door, they first entered the sitting room. Fiyero had re-painted the walls a soft green colour – the irony did not escape her – and bought some new furniture. There was a fireplace, with cream-coloured couches and armchairs around it, covered in multi-coloured cushions. There was a desk in one corner, with pieces of parchment, jars of ink and pencils covering the surface. A vase with flowers sat on the desk; more flowers were in a vase on the side table in front of the fireplace. There was a large bookcase, filled with all kinds of books, standing against the wall.

"It's beautiful, Yero," said Elphaba, looking around in awe. She slowly moved towards the bookcase, trailing a finger down the spine of one of the books.

"My dad helped pick them for you," Fiyero said, sliding his arms around her waist from behind and putting his chin on her shoulder. "Though you could always get other books from the library, of course."

She half-turned to look at him. "For me?" she questioned.

"Of course, for you." He kissed her jaw, then her cheek, then her lips. "The idea is to move you out of that guest room you're still in… and in here, with me."

Now she turned around all the way, looking surprised. "What?"

He laughed. "You didn't think I was going to leave you to sleep in a _guest room_ for the rest of your life, did you? Come." He took her hand and tugged at it, and she followed him through the door on the other side of the room, into the bedroom.

The walls were the same shade of green as the walls in the sitting room, and there was a large, four-poster twin bed standing against the wall. Light was streaming in through the large windows, which were surrounded by creamy white curtains. There was another couch here, a large wardrobe of light oaken wood, and two nightstands next to the bed.

"This is our domain," Fiyero said with a grin.

Elphaba slowly turned around, inspecting the entire room. She smiled when she saw the beautiful painting on one of the walls, recognising it as being from Fiyero's favourite artist. She wrapped her arms around Fiyero and leant up to kiss him.

"I love it," she said honestly. "It's all so beautiful. Is this what you and Galinda have been doing all this time?"

"And my dad," Fiyero nodded with a grin. "All for you. I've never done much about my room before, but I wanted to make it nicer for you." He kissed her temple. "There's more, though."

She frowned slightly. "More?"

He led her to the door in the corner, which she knew led to the large study attached to the bedroom.

"Close your eyes," he said.

She laughed softly. "Yero, why –"

"Just do it," he said, and she rolled her eyes and obeyed.

He took both her hands in his and slowly led her through the doorway and into the room beyond. "Ready?"

"Whenever you are," she said, and Fiyero smiled and let go of her hands.

"Open your eyes."

She did, and she held her breath, her eyes suddenly shimmering with unshed tears. "Oh, Yero…"

"Do you like it?" he asked her a bit anxiously. "Galinda wanted to help, of course, and Mum had some say in it as well, so I hope we did everything right… I tried to hold Galinda back as much as I could, but you know her, and –"

He was cut off when Elphaba suddenly flung her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

"It's perfect," she told him breathlessly when she pulled away. "Really, Yero, it's so beautiful… I absolutely love it. You all did an amazing job."

Fiyero breathed a sigh of relief. "Good."

The room was painted in a soft, sunset orange colour. White, lace curtains flowed in the slight breeze that came in through the open window. In the middle of the room where two white cribs, right next to each other; dangling above it was a wooden mobile with small, painted figures hanging from it – a heart, a cloud, a sun, a star, a crown… There was a dresser in the far corner with a carved rocking chair across from it, right next to the window. There was also a wooden closet and a bookshelf filled with fairy tale books, and in the corner opposite the door was a huge, light yellow, stuffed teddy bear.

A nursery. A nursery for Neorah and Luanna, right next to Fiyero and Elphaba's own bedroom. She couldn't believe Fiyero and the others had gone through so much trouble to do all this, but she was immensely grateful to them.

She sniffled, and Fiyero immediately looked at her in concern. "Fae?"

She shook her head, trying to blink away her tears. Fiyero cupped her face with both hands and studied her face, worry clouding his azure blue eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she sniffled. "It's just…" She gestured around her. "I can't believe you did all this… for me…"

"For us," he corrected her, planting a kiss on her forehead and wrapping his arms around her. "This is our home now, Fae."

"But…" She hated how pathetic and small her voice sounded, but she couldn't help it. "But what if Frex…" She trailed off, but Fiyero knew what she meant, of course.

"Honestly? I don't care," he said, looking at her. "But I'd rather not have to go behind his back, which is why I wrote him in the first place, instead of just marrying you without so much as consulting him. Granted," he acknowledged, "I have no idea if you even _want _to marry me, if Frex were to say yes, and if you would even want to stay here… I guess that was just wishful thinking on my part."

"Of course I want to marry you," she said softly. "But Yero…"

"Before you say anything else," Fiyero interrupted her, "I want you to take a look at this." He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket.

Elphaba took it from him and looked at the return address. Then she looked up at Fiyero a bit fearfully. "Frex replied?"

"It came this morning," he said.

He nodded for her to go ahead and read it, and she opened the envelope and unfolded the letter, her eyes flying over the lines until she found the passage she was looking for.

_I won't pretend to be very thrilled with this turn of events, _Frex wrote in his letter, _especially considering the reputation you had in the past, and the fact that it was already agreed that Elphaba would marry someone else._

Elphaba's heart sank and she looked up at Fiyero again.

He rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish look on his face. "I guess my mum was right when she told me that my careless attitude and brainless behaviour would come back to bite me sooner or later," he said with a small laugh. He quickly grew serious again. "And while we're talking about this… I know that you know that I've done a lot of things in the past that I shouldn't have. Things I'm not proud of. And I've never regretted those things more than once I got together with you."

She nodded. "I know." She stared at the letter. "But…"

"There's more," he prodded helpfully, and she lowered her gaze back to the words in front of her.

_However, I have received a letter from Lord Derien, informing me that he approves of this match. Also, it has been a few years since your reputation was established; and I do believe people can change. Therefore, since you seem so intent on gaining my daughter's hand in marriage, I will comply. You may marry Elphaba._

"Wait. _What_?!" She stared at the letter in shock.

Fiyero was beaming at her, grinning widely. "He said yes, Fae."

"He…" She tried to wrap her mind around this, but she just didn't seem to be able to.

"He said yes." Fiyero wrapped his arms around her waist and looked down into her eyes. "He gave me permission to marry you. You don't have to marry a stranger, Fae. You're going to marry me."

She was completely speechless; but the fact that she all but jumped into Fiyero's arms, throwing her arms around him and burying her face in his neck, told him that she was likely to be just as happy with this new development as he was.

He rested his cheek against her head, unable to get a wide, idiotic grin off his face. Maybe it was finally all over. Maybe they would be okay after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Too easy? Yes, of course too easy. Enjoy the fluff while it lasts. *witch cackle*<strong>

**Oh, I almost forgot: Frex Hunters! Who wants to be in? So far I have Stephanie (xXStefyXx), Elizabeth (musicgal3), Elphabalover101, Caricature of a Witch and PerlogAnnwyl (with a note to call you Meg and let you shoot people in the eye, you are grossed out by cut-off limbs but would like to steal the dead bodies' clothes). Who else?**


	15. It's worth the wait

**AN: As Elphabalover101 pointed out to be earlier tonight... it's been exactly three weeks since my last update on this story. *hides in corner with shame* I know sorry doesn't buy you anything, but... well, sorry.**

**As I said in my latest _Here We Stand _AN: I'm not going to promise you more (regular) updates, because between uni, my film project and my original story, I just can't manage. I do promise I'll _try _to update more (regularly). I'm not quitting fanfiction and I won't ever leave a story without ending it, but it might take a while. I hope you'll all stay with me.**

**Heheh, I just noticed... the title of this chapter is just the next line in the song I'm using for chapter titles of this story; but wow, this title is ironically fitting right now. I just hope you'll all agree and that this chapter was worth the wait (even though it's mostly a filler. But it has a cliffy!).**

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><p><strong>Chapter 15. It's worth the wait<strong>

"Why won't you marry me?"

She looked up.

She was curled up in an armchair in their private sitting room, a book in her lap and a crackling fire burning in the fireplace. Galinda and Lori had kidnapped the twins for some 'quality time' with their god- and granddaughters, respectively; and Elphaba was just enjoying the peace and quiet. She loved her daughters beyond reason, but she had soon discovered that being a mother wasn't all roses and sunshine. It was also getting up four times a night to feed the babies or change diapers, barely getting any rest throughout the day because the children always demanded her attention…

Fiyero had been wonderful – whenever he noticed she was looking tired, he would take Neorah and Luanna out for a long walk, or downstairs to play with their godmother and grandparents, so that Elphaba could get some sleep. He couldn't really feed them for her, but he changed his fair share of diapers, and he had been very supportive and helpful ever since the beginning. Despite the discomforts it brought – she'd known about those beforehand, of course – she loved the fact that they were a family now.

And so the question he was asking her now came completely unexpected to her.

She stared at him for a few long moments, blinking. "What?"

"It's been two months, Fae," he said quietly, sinking down on the couch next to the chair she was sitting in. "Two months since Frex gave me permission to marry you. So can you please explain to me why we're not married yet?"

She shook her head. "Fiyero, things have been crazy," she said. "You know that, too. With the girls, and –"

"Elphaba," he cut her off, and the fact that he used her full name told her how serious he was about this. "Every time I bring it up or try to agree on a date with you, you give me some vague answer and change the subject. I want to know why."

She looked down, biting her lip.

He placed his fingers under her chin and tilted her head up. "Hey," he said softly. "Fae, I…" He took a deep breath. "Maybe I should have been more clear about this, but… you don't _have _to marry me, you know."

She frowned slightly, confused.

"I know you," he said softly, taking her hand in his and rubbing her knuckles with his thumb. "You're free and independent, and you hate to be forced into something. I understand. And I can also understand that this…" He gestured around him. "This maybe isn't the life you've always wanted for yourself. And I can respect that. Really." He took another deep breath. "So, I guess what I'm saying is that if you don't want to marry me… if you'd rather go and do what you've always dreamt of doing – I don't know, go to the Emerald City, work for the Wizard, get some other job that will allow you to make a change in the world… I won't stop you. There's nothing I'd rather want than to marry you, but you're free to go if that's what you really want. You can do whatever you want, Fae. You don't belong to anyone and no-one can tell you what to do. We'll figure something out regarding the girls, I promise. Just… if that's what you really want, I'm just asking you to tell me now, so that at least I'll know what's going to happen."

She stared at him, her eyes wide. "Excuse me," she managed after a while. "_What_?!"

He shifted a little uncomfortably. "What? What do you mean, what? I just…"

"Yero," she interrupted him. She scooted forward, so that she was sitting on the edge of the armchair, and she cupped his face with both hands.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, "if I gave you the impression that I don't want to marry you. Fiyero… I don't care about the Emerald City or about doing what I supposedly always dreamt of doing. The only reason I dreamt of those things in the first place was because I thought that was the only thing I could have. I never dreamt of a husband, or a family, because I was convinced that I could never have that, anyway. Who would be crazy enough to marry me?" She shook her head. "And now… now I have all these things I thought I could never have. I have two beautiful daughters, I have you… I could never ask for anything more, Yero. I love you, and nothing in the world would make me happier than to be your wife."

"Really?" he asked her, his uncertainty shining in his blue eyes.

She kissed him softly. "Really."

He fingered the sleeve of her dress. "Then why…"

She sighed and leant back, curling into herself. She drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

"Fiyero," she said, her voice breaking. "I want to marry you. I really do."

He moved closer to her and gently rubbed his hand up and down her arm. "But?" he prodded.

"But…" She sighed. "If we get married… then we're going to have to tell people about the twins," she said quietly. "That… that Neorah and Luanna are _your _children, and not Odron's."

He looked puzzled. "Yes… well, we're going to have to tell the people sooner or later," he pointed out. "I mean… if only because Luanna has sandy-coloured hair, while you and Odron both have – had - dark hair."

"I know." Elphaba rested her chin on top of her knees. "They look like you, too. People are bound to find out sooner or later. It's just…" She bit her lip. "I'm scared of what my father will do if he finds out," she whispered.

Fiyero blinked. "What?"

"If he finds out that I slept with you when we were still at Shiz…" She took a breath. "I mean, we weren't married… he'd consider it a scandal. And there's no knowing what Frex might do if he feels like I disgraced him. I mean," she corrected herself, "he _always _feels like I disgraced him, but this is different."

"Is _that_ what has been bothering you?" he asked her, realisation finally dawning on him.

She bit her lip and looked down. "Yes."

"Oh, Fae…" He wiggled himself down in the armchair next to her and pulled her into his lap, wrapping her in his arms. She buried her face in his shirt and he stroked her hair, holding her to him.

"You should have told me about this," he whispered. "I was worried, you know? I could tell something was wrong, but you just kept on saying you were fine when you were so obviously not… I didn't know what to do. I thought it was me."

"I'm sorry," she whispered against his chest.

He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "It's fine, sweetheart. You're fine. It'll be okay, I promise. Oz, Fae…" He cradled her face between his hands and peppered her face with kisses, running his fingers through her long, dark hair. "I love you," he murmured to her. "We'll make it. Together. You and me and our beautiful baby girls. Your father can't do anything to us, Fae. We won't tell anyone about Neorah and Luanna's parentage before we're married; and once we are, there's nothing more he can do."

"Because then I'm yours," she whispered, understanding. "Not his. He'll have transferred the power he has over me to you."

"Hey." He rested his forehead against hers. "I don't want you thinking about it like that, Elphaba," he said softly. "He doesn't have any power over you, and neither do I. You're not mine and you're not his. You are your own person and you don't belong to anyone."

"I'm not his," she agreed. She looked up at him with her large, dark eyes. "But I am yours."

He leant down to capture her lips in a series of soft, loving kisses, whispering his adoration for her in her ear.

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><p>After that, Fiyero didn't push the issue anymore. Every now and then, he would bring up the subject; but Elphaba kept on putting it off, and he let her. He understood that she needed more time – to do what, exactly, he didn't know; to convince herself of the fact that Frex would not come after her, maybe. He found it worrying that she was so scared of her own father. Of course, Frexspar Thropp wasn't exactly a pleasant person to be around – quite frankly, Fiyero hated the man, if only for the way he had treated Elphaba for all these years – but the fear he saw in Elphaba's eyes as she told Fiyero about her worries had completely unsettled the prince. Why was she so afraid of him? What did she think he was capable of? And more importantly: was she right in thinking so? Should they fear him, or was Elphaba's reaction more of a childhood trauma than a realistic response to her father?<p>

He gave her all the time she needed. He could wait. Now that he knew that it wasn't him, that she really _did _want to marry him, he didn't mind waiting. He'd wait forever for her if he had to.

It took them another month to set a date; but once they did, all hell broke loose – or that was how Elphaba saw it, anyway.

"_Elphie_!" Galinda came running into the room, squealing. "Elphie, I have just the most fantabulous –"

"_Shh_!" Elphaba hissed. "I just put the twins to…"

A thin, but loud wail came from the nursery.

Elphaba heaved a deep sigh. "…bed," she finished grumpily, rising to her feet and moving towards the nursery.

Galinda grimaced. "Oops."

The green girl returned with Luaxanna in her arms. She sat down in an armchair and rocked the baby back and forth. "At least Neorah seems immune to your overenthusiastic squeals," she commented drily.

Galinda giggled. "Hi, cutie," she cooed, planting a kiss on Luanna's head. "Anyway, Elphie, what I was saying – I had just the most perfect idea for the wedding. What do you think about pink -"

"No."

"Flowers?" Galinda tried.

"No," said Elphaba, shifting Luanna on her arm.

"Pink bridesmaids dresses."

"No."

"Pink accents. Pink food. Pink dresses for the babies. Pink –"

"No pink, Galinda," Elphaba said sternly. "No pink at all. A glimpse of pink in sight and I'm going to cancel the whole thing. If I even catch sight of you wearing pink _underwear_, the wedding will be off. Got it?"

Galinda pouted. "Well, you're no fun," she muttered.

Elphaba laughed. "I was joking about the underwear thing – obviously – but I'm serious, Glin. I don't want any pink at my wedding."

"What colour scheme _would _you like, then?" asked Galinda. "Red? Blue? Green? Orange, lilac, pale yellow…"

"As long as it's not pink," said Elphaba, "I'm fine with anything."

Luanna gurgled. Elphaba smiled down at her daughter and stroked her head, then started playing with the girl's tiny fingers.

Galinda giggled. "Elphie, you are too cute with little Lu and Norrie. Honestly, when we were still at Shiz, I would never have guessed you were the motherly type; but seeing you with the twins is just so adorable, and –"

"Fae?" Fiyero came storming into the room, looking a little dishevelled, with a bewildered look in his sapphire blue eyes.

"Well, hello to you, too," Galinda said with a sniff.

Fiyero ignored her. "Fae, we have a problem," he said.

Elphaba immediately rose to her feet and handed Luanna to Galinda. "What is it?"

Fiyero ran his fingers through his hair, clearly frustrated. "We have visitors," he said.

Elphaba gave him a questioning look.

He sighed. "The king and queen of the Glikkus are here," he said unhappily. "They want to meet their grandchildren."


	16. So hold on

**AN: No, your eyes are not deceiving you. First I leave you hanging for three weeks on all three of my stories, and then I update them all in one day :P. I just happened to finish all three chapters at the same time, so...**

**Why are you all so freaked out by the Glikkun king-and-queen stuff? I thought I had written them to be very nice in the first few chapters! Well, no worries here... not yet, anyway *smirk*.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 16. So hold on<strong>

"Elphaba!" Queen Lavinia of the Glikkus said with a warm smile when the green girl came down the stairs. The queen took Elphaba's hands in her own and kissed both her cheeks warmly. "How are you, dear?"

"I am very well now, thank you," Elphaba replied with a smile that seemed just a little bit forced. She was truly happy to see her former parents-in-law again, but this whole situation was just so awkward and difficult. How was she ever going to explain to these people that the twins were not their grandchildren? That Elphaba had been carrying another man's babies throughout the seven months she'd spent with the Glikkun royal family?

"I must admit we were confused when we heard that you were still staying here," the king, Bodor, said. "We thought you would have gone to live with Lord Derien by now… but then Eleonora and Hamold told us that there has been a change of plans and that you are to marry Prince Fiyero instead." He nodded. "Very well. I heard the wedding date has been set already, as well. Good to hear. That's a fine young man you have here, Elphaba. I'm sure he'll take care of you and the children to the best of his abilities."

Fiyero bowed formally. "I most certainly will, sir."

The queen smiled at him before focussing her attention on Elphaba again. "We thought we'd give you a couple of months," she said. "Of course we weren't sure when exactly the baby were born, and we wanted to give you some time to adjust… but given your due date, we knew we would most likely be grandparents by now – if everything went well, of course – so we decided to pay you a visit. Prince Fiyero here just told us you had twins. Elphaba, that is wonderful."

Elphaba smiled faintly. "They really are wonderful," she agreed.

"What did you name them?" the kind asked in interest.

"Eleonora and Luaxanna," Elphaba replied, her smile widening at the mere thought of her daughters. "Neorah and Luanna for short."

"That sounds lovely," the queen said softly. "Wonderful, Elphaba. Simply wonderful. And everything went well, I understand?"

Elphaba nodded.

"Can we see our grandchildren?" King Bodor asked eagerly.

Elphaba took a deep breath. This was it. She had to tell them now.

Fiyero, sensing it as well, moved closer to her and slipped an arm around her waist to let her know that he stood with her. She squeezed his arm gratefully before opening her mouth.

"Actually," she began, "there's something I need to tell you first."

"You can go sit in the parlour," Lori suggested quietly. "Hamold and I will just give you some privacy. Unless you want us to be there?"

Elphaba hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. "No," she said, "I'll be fine. But thank you."

Fiyero made to follow his parents upstairs, but Elphaba tightened her grip on his arm and he understood that she wanted him to stay.

"If you'll just follow me, please," she said, turning and practically dragging Fiyero with her out of the room and towards the parlour. They all sat down there, with Lavinia and Bodor looking at the dark-haired witch expectantly.

Elphaba sighed, ducking her head. "I… I'm not really sure how to tell you this," she confessed. "But… you know Fiyero and I were together before I married Odron, don't you?"

Queen Lavinia's face softened and she nodded.

"You never really stopped loving him, did you?" she asked the younger girl with a sad smile. "All this time, when you were married to Odron…"

"It was an arranged marriage," Elphaba said softly. "It was my father who had arranged it all, not me. And to be perfectly honest with you… yes, I loved Fiyero and I wanted to marry _him_, not a man I barely even knew." She shook her head. "I did love Odron," she said. "In a way. But never in the same way I have loved – and still love – Fiyero for many years already."

Fiyero smiled at her and squeezed her hand. The queen herself looked suspiciously misty-eyed.

"I'm sorry, Elphaba," she said. "It cannot have been easy for you."

"It wasn't," she said. "But I made it." _Eventually_, she added in her head, thinking of everything that had happened.

The king spoke up. "What is it you wanted to tell us, Elphaba?"

Elphaba closed her eyes for a moment. "I… Fiyero and I…" She swallowed. "We… um… when we were together…"

She trailed off, unsure of how to say this to her former parents-in-law – not to mention royalty – but the king grasped her meaning almost right away and his eyes widened.

"Elphaba," he said, his voice sounding strange. "These babies… are you saying…"

Elphaba buried her face in her hands, unable to look at him.

"Are you saying Odron is not the father of your children?" the king finished, his voice very low.

The queen gasped, her eyes wide.

Elphaba shook her head, her face still in her hands. "Yes," she said, her voice muffled by her own fingers. "Yes, that's exactly what I am saying."

The queen clasped a hand over her mouth in shock and horror.

It was silent for a few moments. Elphaba didn't dare look up, slightly afraid of the way in which the king and queen of the Glikkus might react. She was eternally grateful for having Fiyero beside her – even though this was something she wanted to do on her own, it helped to know that he was right by her side for moral support.

"That explains the change of plans regarding the marriage, too, then," King Bodor said calmly, breaking the stunned silence. "Why you are to marry Prince Fiyero now instead of Lord Derien. If he is the real father of your babies..."

"Elphaba…" Lavinia whispered, clearly shaken. "How? Your due date… did you… when you were married to Odron…"

"No!" Elphaba cried, her head snapping up. "I never cheated on him! Ever! I would never do such a thing!"

The queen nodded, looking pale. "I believe you," she said, her voice trembling. "But then how…"

"My due date has been miscalculated," Elphaba explained, lowering her eyes. "When we thought I was seven months, I was actually already eight. I was already pregnant back when I married Odron in the first place. I didn't even know about all this until I came here and was examined by a Vinkun doctor."

Queen Lavinia nodded bleakly. "I see."

"Maybe…" Bodor spoke up thoughtfully. "Maybe this is for the best."

His wife's head snapped around to stare at him – just like Elphaba's, and even Fiyero's.

"I'm sorry – what?" the queen managed.

The king covered her hand with his own in a reassuring gesture. "I just mean," he said, "that it is less complicated now. Our son is gone, Lavinia, but he did not leave an entire family behind. There are no complex situations regarding children and grandchildren, boys and girls, heirs to the throne… this could have been a big mess. Now it's not. We no longer have any connections to Elphaba and her daughters, other than in a friendly way – there are no obligations on either side. We can focus on our own family again, and so can Elphaba – her family here with her daughters, with Prince Fiyero, and with his parents." He looked at Elphaba. "It's alright," he said. "We understand. We don't blame you for anything."

Elphaba looked at him. "Really?"

"Of course," the queen said, leaning forward to squeeze Elphaba's hand. "I mean, I won't deny that I'm shocked to hear all this… and quite honestly, I don't really agree with doing such… things… with a boy you're not married to," she added sternly.

Elphaba lowered her eyes.

"But none of it is your fault," the queen continued. "It's just the way things happened." She took a breath. "And maybe… maybe Bodor is right, too."

Her husband smiled at her and took her hand in his own.

"We would still love to see the twins, though," he said, looking from Elphaba to Fiyero and back. "It's why we came, after all; and even though they are not our biological grandchildren, they are still the children of our former daughter-in-law, and we care about them as well as you. This news doesn't change that."

Elphaba smiled – a more genuine smile this time. "I appreciate that," she said softly. "I really do."

"Come on, then," said Fiyero, rising to his feet and helping Elphaba up as well. "We'll take you to see our daughters."

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><p>The Glikkun king and queen gushed over the babies for some time, Lavinia immediately wanting to hold them and Bodor smiling at the sight of his wife with the tiny girls, before they left again. Elphaba had worriedly asked them if they had come all this way just for this brief a visit, but the queen had assured her that they had already been around, anyway.<p>

"We have some business to attend to," Bodor explained. "That is another reason why we postponed our visit – we knew we were going to have to come here, to the Vinkus, anyway; so we decided to combine our visit to you with our duties."

"We do expect an invitation for the wedding!" Lavinia had said with a smile, which Elphaba had returned.

"Of course," she said. "We'd love to have you. I'll see you then."

They said goodbye, after which the Glikkun king and queen left and Elphaba slumped against the door.

"Well," she said wearily. "That went better than expected."

Fiyero wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her temple. "I'm glad. I think you've had enough difficult situations and conversations for a lifetime already."

She grinned tiredly. "I think so, too."

"Come on." He scooped her up in his arms bridal style. "I'll tell my parents how it went," he said when he saw that she was about to protest. "You look worn out. I'm going to take you to bed."

"But –"

"Shush."

She scowled, but didn't say anything else.

Fiyero stopped right outside the bedroom, standing still for a few moments and cocking his head slightly to the side.

Elphaba looked up at him questioningly. "Yero?"

"I'm just trying to take it in," he explained to her. "Get used to it, get some practise…"

She frowned. "What are you talking about?" she demanded irritably. "Practise what?"

He smirked down at her. "Carrying you over the doorstep."

She sighed and rolled her eyes when she realised what he meant. "Oz, Yero. You're going to be insufferable now that I've finally agreed on a date, aren't you?"

"Probably," he said cheerfully as he stepped into the room with her and set her down on the bed gently.

He watched as she scurried around the room to change into something a little more comfortable. Then she crawled into the bed, and he climbed onto it to sit beside her.

She furrowed her brow. "I thought you were going to tell your parents how it went," she mumbled sleepily.

He drew her into his arms and kissed her lips softly. "My parents can wait."

"Mm." She kissed him back, then nestled herself in his arms, her head against his chest and her feet tucked between his legs. "'Night, Yero."

"Technically, it's only afternoon," he teased her.

She opened one eye to glare at him. "'_Night_, Yero."

He chuckled and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "I love you, too."

Exasperated, but with a small smile playing around her lips, Elphaba slowly drifted off to sleep in Fiyero's arms.


	17. The best is yet to be

**AN: So this chapter starts out very happy, and ends with the angst we've all been waiting for 3:).**

**This one is for BlueD - sorry it's a day late, I was away from home all day yesterday, but it's an extra long chapter to make up for it ^_^. A very happy 14th birthday to you! :D**

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><p><strong>Chapter 17. The best is yet to be<strong>

"We are standing here before you today," the marriage officiant declared, "to join Miss Elphaba Thropp and Prince Fiyero Tiggular in holy matrimony…"

He launched into a brief speech about the way they had met and how they had fallen in love, as well as about love in general. Elphaba was looking at Fiyero as the officiant spoke. Feeling her gaze on him, he turned his head and smiled – a happy, dazzling smile that caused her to smile as well.

Behind Fiyero was King Hamold, who had Neorah on his arm. His wife was right beside him, carrying Luanna. The girls, now a little over six months old, were both dressed in adorable little ivory-coloured dresses, made of chiffon and decorated with some beading and threads of gold, matching the colour scheme Galinda had chosen for the wedding – white and gold. Somehow, somewhere between Elphaba leaving the girls with Lori and Hamold and her coming out to walk down the aisle, Galinda had tied pale pink bow ties around the twins' waists.

Normally, Elphaba would have chased her best friend all throughout the castle for that; but honestly, now she just couldn't bring herself to care. She was too happy.

She could see Fiyero's eyes gliding over her again, making her blush. She would never get used to the way he looked at her, especially when she was wearing this dress.

Galinda, of course, had picked it out for her, making sure it matched the colour theme of the celebration. The dress was white and strapless and, on Elphaba's request, not enormous or poofy; instead, it hugged her waist and them simply flowed down, widening at her knees in a mermaid-like fashion. The entire dress was adorned with gold beading.

Elphaba, of course, didn't think the dress flattered her at all – though she certainly _felt _pretty in it, she was sure she looked ridiculous; but Galinda's squeals – and even more than that, the looks Fiyero kept giving her – clearly suggested otherwise.

"That is the best love there is," the officiant was saying now. "When you love someone wholly, completely and unconditionally; when you work together to build each other up and stand with each other when your fears take over. To celebrate your joys and to stand together as a team – that is true love."

Elphaba's smile widened at those words and she looked at Fiyero. He met her gaze solemnly and mouthed, "I love you".

She mouthed back, "I love you, too," right before the officiant asked for the rings and Galinda, being the maid of honour, stepped forward. She squeezed Elphaba's hand and shot a beaming smile in Fiyero's direction before stepping back again, watching as Elphaba and Fiyero exchanged rings.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the officiant declared. He looked at Fiyero. "You may kiss the bride."

He moved forward, towards Elphaba, and reach out to cup her cheek. "I love you," he whispered again, right before slipping his hand to the back of her neck to draw her in for a soft, sweet kiss.

All the people present were cheering, and by the time Fiyero finally pulled away, a slight blush had crept into Elphaba's cheeks. Fiyero took one good look at her before cradling her face between both of his hands and kissing her again, more firmly this time.

"You are so beautiful," he told her solemnly before leaning down to kiss her once more.

They then turned to face the crowd, their fingers laced together; and Elphaba looked at all the people present. The people she considered her family were there – Lori and Hamold, Galinda and, of course, Neorah and Luanna. There were some officials and royalty from other parts of Oz – this was the wedding of the only heir to the Vinkun throne, after all.

Nessa was also there, sitting in her chair a little bit off to the side, but wearing a beaming smile that lit up the room. Elphaba returned the smile as she and Fiyero walked down the aisle together so that all the people could see them as a married couple.

Then she caught sight of the person standing next to Nessa's chair – his hands clasped behind his back, his chin raised and his face stern – and her heart sank.

Frex.

All her anxiety and fear, all the reasons she had postponed this day for as long as she possibly could, and all the worries came flooding right back into her mind, causing a tight feeling to settle in her chest. What would he do if he found out about Neorah and Luanna's true parentage? Would he yell at her, or would he hit her? Or worse? She had no idea how he would react – in her opinion, he was capable of starting an Oz-damned _war _over this, but she just wasn't sure.

_Maybe,_ she tried to tell herself, _maybe he won't even care. Maybe he's just happy to be rid of me and it doesn't matter to him what I do for the rest of my life, because from now on the shame won't be his anymore, but Fiyero's._

But then again, Fiyero would never see anything she did as shameful. She dropped her head against his shoulder as they walked, a tiny smile settling on her face, and he dropped a kiss to her head.

"Are you happy?" he whispered.

Her smile widened. Who cared about Frex when she had found herself the most amazing husband in the entire universe?

She raised her head to kiss his cheek. "Very."

He grinned at her. "Good," he said, "because you know what's next, right?"

Her smile faltered a little, but didn't disappear. "The first dance as man and wife." She sighed. "Much as I hate dancing, I'm actually not really afraid of it right now," she said. "Galinda and Lori gave me lessons to the point where I think I could just win a dancing competition if I tried."

He laughed. "Wonderful."

They reached the dance floor and as the guests gathered around them, whistling and cheering, Fiyero pulled her into his arms. The music began and he started dancing, guiding Elphaba through all the movements; and much to her surprise, she found herself completely at ease. She wasn't aware of all the people standing there and watching her every move. She wasn't aware of the fact that she usually hated to dance, or of her fear that she would be clumsy and step on his foot or cause them to trip. All she was aware of was his face, that look in his eyes that he reserved only for her, the smile on his face, his arms around her and his smell enveloping her. She smiled, leaning up to kiss him.

After their first dance was over, they left the dance floor, though the other guests were still dancing. Elphaba took Neorah from Hamold and smiled down at her daughter. "Hi, sweetie," she said, brushing some dark hair away from the girl's face. "Did you miss me?"

Neorah gurgled happily and tried to grab a strand of Elphaba's hair. She had been wearing it in a long, raven ponytail down her back, but some strands had loosened from it now and were framing her face.

She laughed and tucked the lock of hair behind her ear, letting Neorah grasp her finger instead.

Fiyero smiled and tickled Luanna beneath her little chin. "Have they been good?" he asked his mother.

Lori smiled back. "Are they ever anything but?" she said with a laugh. "They're the most adorable little girls in existence. Personally, I think they take after Elphaba," she added.

Fiyero pretended to be offended. "Hey!"

Elphaba chuckled. "Really? I had expected Fiyero to be the most easy-going baby ever," she said, and Lori grinned at her.

"He was," she admitted. "He was always happy and he laughed at everyone."

"That sounds more like him." Elphaba handed Neorah back to her grandfather and looked at the king and queen, slightly fearful. "So… we're going to have to make the announcement soon, right?"

Fiyero slipped an arm around her waist and squeezed softly in a reassuring gesture. "Fae…"

"The sooner, the better, Elphaba," Lori said gently.

Elphaba sighed. "Very well," she conceded. "We might as well get it over with."

Fiyero smiled and kissed her temple. "That's my girl. Excuse me – that's my _wife_," he corrected himself, and Elphaba shoved him.

"You don't have to sound so cocky about it."

He laughed and took her hand, pulling her with him. "Come on," he said. "Let's do this thing. Then the people can go 'aww' about our romantic baby story, your father can tell you he doesn't care and go back to Munchkinland to disappear between the corn, for all I care, and we can live happily ever after. Okay? Okay," he said before she could actually reply. "I'll take Neorah, you take Luanna, and then we can go."

She had to smile at his reasoning, even though she was still feeling a little anxious inside. "Okay."

* * *

><p>Frex hadn't come to see her.<p>

Everyone else had. The king and queen of the Glikkus, who had attended the wedding as well, had come by to congratulate Elphaba and Fiyero and the queen had smiled sadly.

"I wish the twins would have been Odron's," she had said. "I would have been honoured to be their grandmother." She shook her head. "But it's okay."

"Good luck," the king had said as he grasped first Fiyero's hand and shook it, then took Elphaba's and kissed it. "With everything."

Galinda had come by to check up on both the couple and the girls a couple of times, making sure that they weren't bothered by people who thought it shameful that Elphaba had gotten pregnant out of wedlock. Luckily, though, not many people were talking about the scandal it was – they were merely discussing the romantic idea of Elphaba and Fiyero being soul mates who had found one another, only to be separated again; but fate had brought them back together through the twins. Elphaba was convinced it had been Galinda who had made up that story, but everyone seemed to believe in it for some reason and so she decided to just go with it.

Nessarose was the only one who had openly shown her disapproval. She had scolded Elphaba for a bit for not being careful enough, but then she had admitted that the twins _were _extremely cute and Elphaba and Fiyero really were the perfect couple.

Frex had not been with Nessa, and Elphaba had not seen him again for the rest of the day. She had quickly pushed him out of her thoughts, too – he was the last person she wanted to think about on her wedding day; and if he didn't come to see her, she certainly wasn't going to seek him out.

It was a long day – the ceremony, the announcement, not to mention the banquet, the dancing, the people congratulating the newlyweds, the talking, the standing all day long… and between all that, Elphaba had to sneak out every now and then with one of the girls to change a diaper, or to put them down for a nap, or to feed them – but she was happy. She felt relieved that Frex hadn't really reacted to the announcement they had made and she was glad it was out in the open now. And, of course, she couldn't be happier even aside from that – she was married to Fiyero!

"Elphie!" Galinda called, making her way over to the green girl with Luanna in her arms. "I think she's hungry," the blonde said. "But if you want me to, I can try…"

"No, it's fine, I'll go feed her," Elphaba assured the girl. She smirked at Galinda. "What were you going to say, anyway?" she asked, amused. "You can try to breastfeed my daughter?"

Galinda flushed. "No," she said defensively. "I mean…" She trailed off. "Yeah, okay, you're right – of course you're the only one who can feed them."

Elphaba laughed and took Luaxanna from the blonde, carrying her out of the room and up to her and Fiyero's shared bedroom for some privacy. Luanna cried and gurgled a little, but that quickly stopped the moment Elphaba sat down to feed her.

The green girl watched her daughter as she drank and smiled. "Don't feel guilty for taking me away from the party," she told her daughter. "Honestly, I love the fact that so many people are there for us and it's really been a lot of fun – but I've never really been a people-person. Frankly, I'm glad you guys give me an excuse to escape all the fuss for a few minutes." She chuckled and stroked Luanna's hair.

She heard a noise and she looked up, but there was no-one to be seen. She frowned. "Yero?"

Galinda poked her head around the door. "It's me," she said. She held up Neorah. "I think she needs to sleep."

Elphaba looked down at Luanna, who was yawning, and nodded. "I think so, too." She buttoned up her dress again and took Neorah from her friend. "You go back to the party – I'll be fine," she assured the blonde.

"Okay." Galinda looked at the green girl. "Most of the guests are leaving already," she said, raising both eyebrows. "Are you ready for your wedding night?"

Elphaba rolled your eyes. "It's not like my wedding night will involve something I've never done before," she said teasingly, "or the girls wouldn't be here right now."

Galinda giggled. "True," she acknowledged. "But it's been over a year."

"Yeah." Elphaba gently laid Luanna down in her crib, kissing her daughter's forehead before hugging Neorah and putting her down as well. "I think I'll be fine."

Galinda giggled again. "Good." She winked at Elphaba. "Come downstairs for one last dance, then," she suggested, "and then Fiyero can carry you all the way upstairs and over the doorstep." She frowned. "Or maybe not. Because if he has to carry you up all those stairs, he might be too tired for other… activities… tonight, and –"

Elphaba snatched a pillow from a chair and hurled it at her friend, who dodged it, both of them laughing. "Get out of here, you!"

"Fine, fine!" Still giggling, Galinda left the room to go back to the feast downstairs.

Elphaba looked down at Neorah and Luanna, who were both watching her with large, sapphire blue and chocolate brown eyes, respectively. "Don't pay too much attention to your Auntie Galinda," she said, smoothing the hair away from Neorah's forehead. She leant in closer and whispered, "She's a little crazy in the head."

Neorah gurgled. Luanna laughed.

Chuckling, Elphaba drew the curtains closed and left the nursery, pausing for a moment outside the door just in case one of the girls would start crying again, but she heard no sound. Smiling to herself, she moved back to the door, intending to go back to the party.

A loud, thin wail broke the silence.

Elphaba sighed and turned around again, opening the nursery door. "What's wrong, honey –" she started saying, but she cut herself off when she saw what was going on. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart was pounding so loudly she was sure he could hear it even from the other side of the room. "Father."

He was holding Neorah, who was crying, and he was bent over Luanna's crib. His head snapped up when he heard her voice and she all but leapt towards him, her eyes flaring. "Stay away from my children."

"No." He stepped back, but he still had Neorah. "Elphaba," he hissed at her. "Sleeping with that boy out of wedlock is the stupidest thing you have ever done, and I will not allow this shame to be known all throughout Oz. The only thing left for me to do is to take that shame away."

Cold shivers crept down her spine at that and she grabbed Luanna, cradling the baby close to her chest – just in case he would try something else. "What is that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"Don't worry," he said. "I'm not a monster – I'm not going to kill them. I'll just take them away and bring them to a mauntery, a place where they will find a fine new home for these girls, and –"

"Don't you dare." Elphaba stepped forward, her eyes hard. "You are not touching my children," she hissed. "Over my dead body."

He looked at her. "What did you expect?" he asked her calmly. "That you could just get away with this?"

She was shaking with anger. "This has nothing to do with you or Nessa!" she shouted. "These are _my _children, mine and Fiyero's, and you are not taking them away! What purpose would that serve, anyway?" she demanded of him. "We already made the announcement – the people already know that the girls are Fiyero's!"

"Here in the Vinkus, the people know," he corrected her. "I want to prevent this from spreading any further. You're my daughter, Elphaba, and you're Nessa's sister. You can think whatever you want, but if this comes out, the disgrace will be associated with _our _family, and I will not let that happen. So either I'm going to take the disgrace away," he said, his eyes boring into hers, "or I'm going to take the _source _of the disgrace away." He cocked his head. "Your pick."

"You're crazy," she whispered, clutching Luanna tightly. "Absolutely crazy."

"Maybe," he acknowledged. "But I'm just trying to protect my family."

She looked at him. "And I'm trying to protect mine."

"Fair enough." He looked down at Neorah – his own granddaughter, for Oz's sake – and looked lost in thought for a moment. "So let me take _you _instead of them."

"And what purpose would _that _serve?"

"Preventing you from disgracing me further." His eyes were cold as he looked at her. "Creating a fuss, maybe. If the Vinkun princess disappears, at least the people won't talk about your bastard children anymore."

Elphaba's eyes flamed. "They're not bastard children."

"They are," Frex corrected her. "Stop arguing with me, Elphaba. You have three clock-ticks or else I'm taking the babies, and there's nothing you can do about it. One. Two –"

Elphaba's hands sparked with magic, but before she could do anything, Frex held up Neorah, his fingers around her small neck. "Don't think I won't do it."

She froze.

"I don't want to commit a murder," said Frex, "but I will not hesitate if that's what it takes. Make a decision, Elphaba. And if you try anything else, I'm going to kill your daughter."

Elphaba hugged Luanna tightly – she just needed to hold onto something right now. "And then what?" she asked in a choked voice. "What are you going to do with me?"

He shrugged. "Send you away," he said. "To Quadling Country, perhaps. Or to a mauntery."

She could escape from there. It would take time, but she could find a way back to the Vinkus – back to Fiyero. And it was better than the alternative. If she let Frex take her girls, she was sure she would never see them again.

"Okay," she whispered. "I'll come with you."

"A wise decision." He grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil from a side table and held it out to her. "I want you to write something down," he said. "Something to convince your _husband_," he nearly spat that word, as if it was something extremely unpleasant, "that you left out of your own free will, so that he won't come looking for you."

Tears were pricking her eyes, but she refused to let them fall as she did what Frex asked of her. When he looked away for a moment, she quickly flipped the note and wrote the word _FREX _on the other side. She hoped Fiyero would get the clue.

When she was done, Frex took Luanna from her and put both babies back in their cribs, taking a hold of Elphaba again before she could move. She started to struggle, but Frex suddenly pulled a piece of cloth from his pocket and pressed that to her face, making it hard for her to breathe. She distantly registered that the cloth had a strange smell to it before everything went black.

* * *

><p><strong>Aaaaand I nearly forgot - a blog post with the pictures of Elphaba's wedding dress! <strong>** queenofcliffies dot blogspot dot nl/2014/04/um dot html**


	18. Close your eyes

**AN: Yep, again no updates for either of my stories in days, and then one for each story on the same day. I need to work on my timing.**

**Elphaba'sGirl: That had me laughing so hard :P.**

**The Wizard Of Wicked: I have never read _The fault in our stars_, though a friend of mine is nearly killing me because of that and is going to let me borrow the book once she gets it back from someone else she loaned it to, lol.**

**Meg: I knoooooow. I've been debating a lot about whether to have him take Elphaba or one (or both) of the babies; but I've already done something like that in the sequel to _Yero my hero_, and I know I've had Elphaba being kidnapped before as well, but... yeah. I'm getting at that point where I feel like I've done practically everything at least once already.**

**I'mFlyingHighDefyingGravity: Of course you can kill him. Please do.**

**Also, check out the blog post that went with the previous chapter! (I put it in later, but I forgot at first.) It's got pictures of Elphie's wedding dress ^^.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18. Close your eyes<strong>

"She left." Fiyero stared at the note in his hands. It didn't tell him all that much; it just said, _I'm sorry_, in Elphaba's neat, elegant handwriting. "She just… left."

"Fiyero…" Lori said softly.

Galinda shook her head. "I don't understand," she said, tears in her eyes. "I mean… how could she just leave?"

Fiyero put the note down, careful as if it was about to bite him or burst into flames. "I understand," he said flatly. "I knew it. Right from the beginning, I knew it. She's just… impossible to hold." He shook his head. "She needs her freedom, she needs to make her own choices, she needs… she needs more." His voice was choked. "More than this. More… more than us."

"Fiyero, no." Galinda shook her head. "Don't think like that," she said gently. "She loves you and the twins more than anything – I just don't understand what's going on. The Elphie I know would never do this."

"Well," Fiyero said bitterly. "Then maybe we didn't know her as well as we thought we did." He took the girls from his mother and walked out of the room without looking back.

Galinda made to go after him, but Lori stopped her. "Give him some time," she said. "He needs to process this."

"We need to find her," Galinda said, tears stinging her eyes. "We need to… to go out there, and find her, and… talk some sense into her. This… this isn't like her, not at all. What if something else happened? What if… if someone threatened her, or… or she was taken, or murdered, or –"

"Galinda," Lori said, gentle but stern. "Don't. Elphaba is fine. She just left, that is all."

"But you don't know that for sure," Galinda said. "Do you?"

Lori didn't say anything.

"Lori, please," Galinda pleaded. "I don't believe she would leave. Elphie would never do that, especially not on her wedding day! She loves Fiyero – did you not see the look in her eyes when she walked down that aisle today?"

"Maybe she got scared at the prospect of their wedding night," Hamold spoke up thoughtfully.

"Maybe," Galinda acknowledged. "But that doesn't seem very likely to me. I mean, it's not like the thing that was supposed to happen tonight has never happened before. Neorah and Luanna didn't exactly come falling from the sky."

"It's no use speculating," Lori said with a sigh. "I'll go talk to Fiyero later, but right now, there's just nothing we can do. Not until we find out more about this."

"I'll call the Vinkus guards together," said Hamold. "I'll tell them to look out for Elphaba. If she has really run away, she can't have gotten very far yet – none of the palace horses is missing and she's only been gone for an hour at most. If she's out there somewhere, the guards will find her."

"And if she's not?" Galinda demanded in a high voice. "If someone has her? Took her into the forest and did something horrible to her?"

"If someone kidnapped her," Hamold said calmly, "we'll get a ransom note soon. But quite honestly, Galinda, I think the note she left speaks for itself. It is her handwriting, isn't it?"

"Yes," Galinda admitted reluctantly. She would recognise Elphaba's handwriting anywhere – the same handwriting she had seen in class a thousand times and afterwards, in their dorm room, as well, every time she secretly tried to copy Elphaba's homework without the green girl noticing.

"Maybe we need to face the fact that she just could not be completely happy here with us," Hamold said quietly.

"No." Galinda shook her head furiously. "No. I refuse to believe that."

Lori tried to comfort the blonde, placing a hand on Galinda's arm. "Galinda –"

"No, Lori!" Galinda pulled away, her blue eyes filled with tears, but also with fire. "You don't know Elphie like I do! She would never, _ever _do this to you, or to me… let alone to Fiyero and the girls. She would never leave them. They are her world. Something is going on here, and I am going to find out what."

With that, she whirled around and stalked out of the room.

* * *

><p>When Elphaba opened her eyes, she found herself in some sort of dark, mouldy basement. She could hear water dripping in the distance and she had to blink a few times to focus. She was sitting on a chair – tied to one, to be more precise – and all she could see in the scarce lamp light was two shadows moving around.<p>

She shivered at the rush of cold air suddenly caressing her skin and the movement caught the attention of one of the shadows.

"She's awake," a voice whispered.

"Good." One of the shadows stepped into the light. It was a man – a young man; he was maybe in his late twenties or early thirties. He had thick, brown hair and a dark look in his eyes.

"Good morning, Your Highness," he said mockingly, bowing before her. "Did you have a nice nap?"

"Don't tease her," the other shadow, also a man, growled. "Let's just go. She's not going anywhere, and we shouldn't draw suspicion."

The first man grinned toothily at Elphaba. "But I'm not done with her yet," he said.

"Frex –"

"Frex isn't here," the dark-haired man said curtly. "He only said to make her disappear without actually killing her. He never said what we could or could not do to her."

The other man stepped into the light as well now. He seemed to be the same age as the first, only with dark skin and black hair. "Just leave her alone, Uro."

Uro moved to stand next to Elphaba, circling her and eyeing her eagerly. "She's a pretty thing, isn't she? For a frog."

She struggled weakly against the ropes around her wrists and ankles, but they were too tight and she was too dizzy. "Where am I?" she asked, trying to keep her voice authoritative and steady.

"You made a deal with Frex," the dark-skinned man told her. "You let him take you so that he would leave your kids alone. He paid us to take care of you."

"Make me disappear without killing me?" she repeated the words she had heard Uro say earlier. Her voice sounded uncharacteristically bitter, even in her own ears. "And what does that mean, exactly?"

"It means," Uro said, still circling her, "that you are staying here until we find a better solution for you." He smirked. "Or until we are finished with you."

The other man sighed. "Uro…"

"You can go, Lerin," Uro said, never taking his eyes off Elphaba. "I'm going to have a little fun with the princess here." He trailed his fingers down her face, touching her lips. "Look at her. She's practically begging me to kiss – _OW_!" he yelped when she opened her mouth and bit his fingers. Hard.

The other man, Lerin, was practically doubling over with laugher. "Yeah, I can see it," he hiccupped, wiping tears from his eyes. "She's _totally _begging you."

"Stay away from me, you filthy cretin," Elphaba snapped at Uro, who was staring at her with an incredulous look on his face.

That look, however, soon turned murderous.

He raced forward and grabbed her hair, yanking her back with chair and all. She yelped in pain and he brought his face very close to hers.

"Now you listen to me very carefully, Miss Elphaba," he hissed, drops of saliva flying off his lips. "We own you now, Lerin and I. You are at our mercy. So I suggest you be nice to us, or else we might decide it's easier for us to make you disappear by killing you after all. I'm sure Frex wouldn't mind too much."

She looked back at him, defiance in her eyes. Then she spat him in the face.

"I'm getting out of here," she said, her voice dangerously low. "You just wait and see. And once I do, I'll show you exactly what an angry witch looks like."

"Oh, really?" Uro brought his face even closer and sneered, "I'd like to see you try."

With that, he kicked at the chair, causing it to fall over on its side. Elphaba writhed and squirmed, but could not get herself upright again.

"Face it, Princess," Uro called over his shoulder as he and Lerin moved towards the door. "You are never seeing your handsome husband or your precious children ever again!"

With that and a smug laugh, they closed the door behind them.

* * *

><p>When Lori entered the sitting room downstairs, she found Fiyero sitting on the couch, the babies both sitting in his lap, crying. He was bouncing them up and down and talking to them in a soothing voice; but neither Neorah nor Luanna seemed to calm down even a little. Lori could see the panic in Fiyero's eyes and she suspected the children could feel it, too.<p>

The prince looked up when she entered, his face pale and his eyes bewildered. "They're hungry," he said desperately, looking as if he were near tears. "I can't feed them. Fae… Elphaba is still breastfeeding them. What am I supposed to _do_, Mum?"

Lori's heart broke, seeing her son like this, and she sat down on the couch next to him. "Oh, Yero…"

Luanna hiccupped and let out a loud wail. Lori quickly took the baby from Fiyero, rocking her back and forth. "Come on," she said, rising to her feet again. "We'll have to use the bottles we bought to feed them. They'll be fine, Yero, don't worry."

He apathetically followed her downstairs and into the kitchen, where she expertly warmed up some milk, found the bottles and filled them. She then offered Luanna the pacifier, which the baby accepted after some hesitation.

Fiyero breathed a sigh of relief when Neorah also started sucking on the pacifier he offered her. "Thank Oz. I was worried that… I don't know. That they wouldn't eat. That…"

"That you would lose them, too?" Lori asked softly, knowingly; and Fiyero nodded, a lump in his throat.

Lori sighed. "Galinda is convinced that she didn't leave of her own free will," she began, but Fiyero interrupted her.

"Galinda," he said sharply, "only believes what she wants to believe. She just can't accept the fact that Elphaba would just leave us all like that."

"And you can?" asked Lori.

He fell silent for a moment.

"No," he said, turning away. "But I have to."

"What makes you think Galinda can't be right?" Lori asked. "The note?"

"The note," he confirmed. "It's her handwriting, and it sounds like something she would say. Plain, simple, and to the point. She's sorry, but she left. Done. That's it. She's not coming back." He turned away a little more and wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt, not wanting his mother to see that he was crying. "She's always been a free spirit," he said and his voice cracked. "I saw this coming, you know. I had a talk with her a couple of months ago – I told her that she could leave, if she wanted to. She said she didn't want to… but what if she only said that because she didn't want to hurt me? She has always dreamt of the Emerald City, Mum – of working with the Wizard, helping the Animals, doing something great that would make her famous throughout all of Oz. She's not made for quiet life with a family. I should have recognised that."

"Fiyero," his mother said patiently, putting the bottle away and laying Luanna against her shoulder, gently tapping the baby's back. "She will be Queen of the Vinkus once your father and I step down. She's going to do great things, Yero. I don't doubt that and I don't think she does, either." She looked at her son. "Maybe she left because she needs some time for herself," she said softly. "Time to figure things out and think everything through. You told me yourself that she's a very private person, and I've seen that in her, too. She'll come back. I'm sure of it."

"You all seem so sure of a lot of things, huh?" Fiyero said bitterly. Neorah burped and he moved the baby to his other shoulder. "Galinda is sure she didn't leave out of her own free will. You're sure she did and she'll come back. How do you know all that? Because, you know, I'd _love _to have your confidence." He turned around to face his mother again. "You know why?" he almost shouted. "Because the only thing _I _am sure of right now is the fact that she is gone!"

Lori looked at him. He stared back at her, daring her with his eyes to contradict him.

Then Neorah cried softly and Luanna let out a long, high-pitched wail, and the moment was broken. They both focused on the little girl in their arms, trying to calm them down with soothing words and rocking movements.

Suddenly, Galinda stormed into the room, her face pale.

"Guys?" she said, her voice trembling a little and her blue eyes wide. "You might want to see this."

Hamold came in behind her, looking serious. They both leant over one of the counters in the kitchen and Galinda laid down the note Elphaba had left, smoothing the paper out with her hands.

Fiyero sighed tiredly. "Glin, we all saw the note," he began, but the blonde shook her head.

"Not all of it," she said.

Then she flipped the note, allowing the others to read the single word written on the other side.

Lori gasped. Fiyero's eyes widened. Hamold and Galinda just looked at them with solemn faces.

"I was right," said Galinda. "She didn't leave of her own free will."

Fiyero looked up at her, a strange kind of hope shining in his eyes; and Galinda realised with a start that to him, this was the better alternative. It was easier for him if Elphaba had been taken by someone, because then at least she hadn't _chosen_ to leave him and the twins behind.

"She's been taken," Hamold concluded.

Galinda nodded earnestly, staring down at the note again. "Taken by Frex."


	19. Imagine, just believe

**AN: *sing-song voice* I'm ba-ack! (That's sort of a reference to the short Shakespeare film my friends and I are making right now. If you want to complete the reference, you'd say "Thank goodness!", which seems oddly fitting in the Wicked fandom somehow :P.)**

**Nia: I read your review ("at least now they know") and in my head it went like, "Well now they knoooow! Let it gooooo, let it gooooo!"**

**Elphaba'sGirl: Haha, I'm all for that idea :P especially the impaling Frex on a glowstick part!**

**PerlogAnnwyl: I sort of considered either having Frex take one of the girls and bring her to a mauntery or something, then reunite them, like, a long time from now - but that seemed too cliché somehow; or having Frex take Elphaba and let Fiyero believe for, like, somewhere between two and five years that she had left him before he'd find out the truth. BUT I COULDN'T DO IT. I'm a sap like that, okay? Do you know how much it hurts me to separate Fiyeraba and/or their kids for even a day? *cries* xD**

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><p><strong>Chapter 19. Imagine, just believe<strong>

"We're back!" Uro sang as he and Lerin came back into the basement. He grinned at Elphaba. "Did you miss us? Look at her, Lerin – looks like she's still hanging around! Or should I say _lying _around?" He sniggered and poked Elphaba with his foot. "Looks like you couldn't get up again by yourself."

Lerin sighed and put down the small bag he'd been carrying. "Uro…"

"Right," Uro said. "No teasing. Got it."

Elphaba didn't say anything – she just gave them her best death glare as they hauled the chair she was tied to back upright. Lerin untied her and pointed at a bucket in the corner of the room.

"If you need to go," he said, "you better do it now, because we won't be coming back until tomorrow morning."

They allowed her to walk around the room for a bit, after which they tied her back to the chair and fed her some water and bread. Then they left again.

Elphaba leant her head back so that she was looking at the ceiling. What was going to happen to her? Where was Frex? Were they just going to keep her here, locked up and tied to a chair in a dark basement, for the rest of her life?

She closed her eyes for a moment and thought of her daughters. Were they okay? Had Frex really left them alone now that he had her, or had he decided to eliminate every last piece of the scandal that was his daughter getting pregnant out of wedlock? She shuddered at the mere thought.

But no. Fiyero would protect them, she was sure of that. Galinda was there, too, and Fiyero's parents… the twins would be okay. They would all be okay. Well, except for Elphaba herself, maybe, but she could live with that.

She wondered if they had found her note, and what they had made of it. Had they read the back? What if they had just tossed it away without turning it around? Then they would all think she left them, and they would never know the truth…

She could feel a single tear making its way down her face and she shook her head, unable to wipe it away since her wrists were still bound.

She closed her eyes and thought of Fiyero.

Suddenly, however, the door opened and Lerin and Uro came back in, closely followed by Frexspar.

Elphaba's eyes widened as her father's eyes narrowed. "Why is she still here?" he demanded of Uro and Lerin. "I told you to make her disappear!"

"She did disappear," Lerin said, clearly confused. "She disappeared down here."

Frex closed his eyes for a moment. "I meant take her away!" he snapped at the two men. "To a mauntery, to Quadling Country, I don't know – somewhere! I didn't tell you to keep her tied and locked up in an underground basement! That's no way to treat any prisoner – not even _her_! I just wanted her out of the way, but I am not heartless, unlike some of us here." He glared at Uro and Lerin. "Have you two completely lost your mind?"

Lerin sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Where do you want us to take her, then?"

"Nowhere right now," Frex said irritably. "One of the maids already spoke about a carriage of the Vinkun royals arriving in Munchkinland – they're here because they suspect something, I'm sure of it. Keep the girl here until I tell you otherwise. We need to get rid of them first. Don't worry, I'll make them leave," he said when he saw the frowns on Lerin and Uro's faces. "I have no intention of letting them find out what happened, and so they won't find out. It's as simple as that. They have no proof, anyway."

He cast another quick and contemptuous glance at Elphaba. "Don't look so hopeful," he said to her. "They'll never find you."

Her eyes flamed. "Fiyero won't give up on me," she said. "None of them will."

"They will," Frex corrected her. "Eventually. And even if they'll keep looking, it won't be of any use. They'll never find you."

With that, he turned around and left.

* * *

><p>When Frexspar opened the door and found not only Galinda Upland, but also Prince Fiyero and King Hamold Tiggular of the Vinkus on his doorstep, he faltered for a moment.<p>

"Um… good morning," he said, bowing. "Your Majesty, Your Highness, Miss Upland. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Fiyero looked like he was about to murder the governor and Frex inadvertently stepped back. Galinda quickly placed a hand on the prince's arm and Hamold stepped forward, in between Fiyero and Frexspar.

"Governor Thropp," he said with a formal nod. "May we come inside?"

"Of course." Frex stepped aside and let them in, backing up against the wall when Fiyero passed him and threw him the dirtiest look he had ever received from anyone. Galinda gently pulled the prince with her and into the nearest sitting room, pushing him down in a chair before delicately taking place in the one beside Fiyero's, keeping a firm hold of his arm. Hamold did not sit down at all – he just turned around and waited for Frex to come in after them.

When he did, the king looked at him earnestly. "Governor Thropp," he said formally. "I am not someone who likes to beat around the bush…"

"Neither am I," said Frex briskly.

Hamold nodded. "I will skip the pleasantries, then, and cut straight to the chase. The reason why we're here is because Elphaba is missing."

Frex frowned. "Missing?" he echoed. "I'm sorry, I'm confused."

"She's gone," Fiyero spat from his place in the chair. "Missing. Disappeared. _Not here anymore_. Surely you know what 'missing' means?" he added venomously.

Galinda squeezed his hand. "Calm down."

"No!" Fiyero bristled, rising to his feet before the small blonde could stop him. "I will not calm down!" He jabbed a finger in Frex' chest. "Elphaba has gone missing and _you_ are the one who kidnapped her!"

To Frex' credit, he played his part well. His eyebrows rose. "Excuse me?"

Hamold sighed and pushed Fiyero back down into the chair. "Governor," he said, "my daughter-in-law has rather suddenly disappeared on the day she and Fiyero got married; and while my son may have put it a little bluntly, he is right. We have reason to believe that you are the one who took her."

Frex' eyebrows would have disappeared into his hairline right now… if he still had a lot of hair. "Me?" He shook his head. "I don't know what kind of 'reason' you may have for that preposterous accusation," he sneered, "but it couldn't have been me. When was she taken?"

"Late at night," Galinda answered from her spot in the chair, seemingly calm despite everything. "She had gone upstairs to put the twins to bed. It was around ten or eleven, I think."

"Then it couldn't have been me," said Frex resolutely. "I left right after Prince Fiyero and Elphaba made the announcement about their children."

Hamold narrowed his eyes. "And why is that?"

Frex snorted. "Because it's a disgrace," he hissed. "Those children were conceived out of wedlock and I refused to stay and be associated with them. It's bad enough that Elphaba herself is associated with me."

Fiyero flushed. "You –"

"Fiyero," Hamold said sharply, and the prince closed his mouth, glaring daggers at Frex.

"That's it?" Hamold asked the governor. "You left right after the announcement?"

Frex nodded. "I headed back to Munchkinland straight away," he declared.

Hamold looked at Fiyero, who stared at Frex, clearly unsure of what to believe now.

"I'm assuming Nessarose went back home with you?" Galinda asked politely, and Frex nodded.

"Of course," he said. "She's my daughter. She can't go anywhere by herself."

"Wrong," said Galinda, a strange, icy smile on her face that Fiyero had never seen there before. "You're lying."

Hamold frowned and Fiyero looked at the blonde in confusion, but she was still staring at Frex.

The governor gaped at Galinda. "Are you accusing me of _lying_?!" he demanded. "Who do you think you are?"

She ignored that. "You're lying," she repeated calmly. "You disappeared after the announcement, that is true; but Nessa didn't. In fact," she said, boring her eyes into Frex', "Nessa was the one I was talking to, right before I went to find Elphie. Right before we went upstairs together and I left her alone and she got kidnapped."

Frex' eyes widened.

Galinda tilted her head a little to the side. "You didn't think of that little flaw in your perfect alibi, did you?" she asked him.

Within the blink of an eye, Fiyero was on his feet and had Frex pinned against a wall. This time, no-one stopped him.

"Where is she?" he growled, his voice sounding almost animalistic. "Tell me what you did to her!"

"I didn't do anything!" Frex spat. "I didn't take her!"

Fiyero tightened his grip on Frex' throat, shouting, "Liar!"

"Even if I had," Frex snarled, "I would never tell you what I did to her. You two are disgusting! All you do is bring shame to your families, and if you want to drag down your own family, suit yourself; but I will _not _allow you and that… that… _aberration_… to ruin _our _family!"

"Fiyero!" Galinda cried when the prince tightened his grip even more and Frex became a little purple. "You're strangling him!"

"Let go, son," Hamold warned. Fiyero loosened his grip – a little – but he did not let go.

Galinda showed Frex the note. "This was on the back," she said. "You made her write this note, didn't you? She wrote this on the back to warn us."

"This is our proof, Frexspar," Hamold said calmly. "If you admit that you did it right now, the consequences will be relatively light. If you lie to us, however…"

"You can keep denying it," Galinda said with a scowl, "but we know the truth, and we're going to prove it."

"You might as well make it easier on yourself," Hamold added.

Frex stared at the Vinkun king for a while. Then he looked at Galinda, who raised an eyebrow at him; and at Fiyero, who still looked murderous.

"I am not admitting to anything," Frex declared, "except for the fact that if she really was taken, then I hope she'll be gone forever."

Fiyero brought his face very close to the governor's. "Where is she?" he hissed. "What did you do to her?"

Frex looked him straight in the eye. "Like I said," he reminded the prince, "I'm not admitting to anything." He let out a vicious laugh. "All I'm going to say that if it _had _been me taking her, I know where I'd put her – right where she belongs. Safely tucked away a few metres under the ground."

Fiyero's eyes widened and he let go of Frex, who scrambled to his feet, massaging his sore throat.

"What?" Fiyero whispered. "No."

Galinda's eyes were wide and filled with tears. "You… you _killed _her?" she whispered in disbelief. "No. You can't have. Even you wouldn't do that to her."

"Like I said," Frex declared again, crossing his arms, "I am not admitting to anything at all. No matter what you say, I will deny it. I did not take her. I did not kill her. I have no idea where she is."

No-one believed that, of course.

Hamold studied the other man for a long time. "You're lying," he stated. "About where she is… or where you'd put her if you had taken her," he corrected himself when he saw the look on Frex' face.

"I'm not," said Frex. "I swear on my wife's grave that I'm telling you the truth."

Fiyero and Galinda gasped in unison – they both knew from Elphaba that Frex almost never talked about his deceased wife and that he had loved her very much. The fact that he brought it up now could only mean one thing.

"He's not lying," Galinda choked out, slowly sinking down into a chair, her hands trembling. "He's telling the truth."

"I am," Frex confirmed.

Hamold frowned. Something seemed off here, but he wasn't sure what it was, exactly.

There was nothing they could do, though. If Frex didn't straight out admit that he knew anything about Elphaba's disappearance, they had nothing on him. They would have to wait until the governor talked or until he did something to betray himself.

"We're leaving," Hamold announced. "There are some things I have to arrange. We will come back in the morning, Governor Thropp."

Frexspar nodded with a sour face. "I will await your arrival, Your Majesty," he said in a voice that was dripping with sarcasm.

As they made their way outside, Galinda was swaying dangerously on her high heels and Hamold actually had to support Fiyero, who didn't seem like he was able to stand on his own two feet at all. Hamold led them both to the carriage and made them sit down.

"He killed her," Galinda whispered.

Hamold shook his head. "I don't believe he did," he said.

The blonde looked up at him. "What?"

"I believe he took her," Hamold clarified. "There's no doubt in my mind about that. But I don't believe he killed her. I think he is keeping her somewhere."

Fiyero was staring at him now with wide, hopeful eyes, and the look he saw there broke Hamold's heart. "Yero," he said gently. "I need you to keep yourself together."

"But –"

"I know." Hamold placed a hand on his son's knee and squeezed it. "I know you're worried sick about her. We all are. But I don't want you to jump to conclusions until we have proof of what Frexspar is saying. Right now, I need you to keep it together."

Fiyero buried his face in his hands. "I don't know if I can," he admitted, his voice muffled.

Hamold squeezed again. "For Elphaba?"

Fiyero heaved a shaky sigh. Then he nodded slowly.

"I'll try."

"Good." Hamold smiled at him. "Now, if you don't mind," he said, climbing out of the carriage again, "I'm going to talk to my guards and arrange something for the night. I want them to keep an eye on Frexspar at all times – I think he might make a move tonight." He went over to the much more inconspicuous carriage behind the royal one, in which he had brought some of the palace guards, and climbed inside that one to talk to the men.

Fiyero closed his eyes and rested his temple against the cool glass of the carriage window, praying to every deity he knew that Elphaba was alright.


	20. That just as one door closes

**AN: WHOA! This hasn't happened in forever, has it? Two updates in two days? Wow. That's been a really, really long time. For the first time in forever... :P Somehow, inspiration just struck (it usually does when I'm nearing the end of a story) and so here's another chapter for you guys! (Another one for _Here we stand_ will be up soon, too. Most likely tomorrow.)**

**tooOTPtofunction: I think that's an incredibly great life goal.**

**Moreanswers24: I accept your proposition... under one condition. (Okay, no, I just accept it, but I wanted to finish the reference :P. I'M ALL IN. GIMME THOSE FIYEROS AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE FREX.)**

**Only two more chappies to go after this one!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 20. That just as one door closes<strong>

"Did you believe him?"

Galinda looked up from where she had been staring out of the window, lost in thought. "Hmm?"

"Did you believe him?" Fiyero repeated. His voice cracked. "When he said…"

"Oh, Fiyero…" Galinda rose to her feet and moved across the room to hug the prince. "She's not dead. She's not."

"How do you know?" he choked out and she hugged him again.

"Because," she said. "She's Elphie."

He looked at her.

She shrugged. "I just know," she said. "She would never leave us like this, Fiyero. Not you, not me, and especially not the girls. This is not the end. Frex is lying."

"He swore he was telling the truth on Melena's grave, Galinda," Fiyero whispered. "You know how much Melena meant to him. He would never swear on her grave unless he was telling the truth." He shook his head. "And I know she would never leave us, but this… this wasn't a choice."

"You're talking like she's already gone." Galinda's voice rose a little in pitch. "She's not, Fiyero. She's not. I refuse to believe that."

"I'm just trying to be realistic here, Galinda!" Fiyero ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, despair clearly visible in his blue eyes.

"Yes, well, don't!" the blonde snapped back at him. "How about you try being _optimistic _instead? If all you're going to do is sit here and say depressive things, then I'm out of here!" With that and an angry arm gesture, she grabbed her purse and stormed out of the door.

Fiyero let himself fall back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. His father was off deliberating with the guards and now that Galinda had left, he was all alone in the hotel they were staying in for the time being, and he couldn't keep his mind from wandering everywhere. He wished he could just hold Neorah and Luanna for a moment. He wished someone could just come sit with him and reassure him, tell him that everything would be okay. Suddenly, he missed his mother. She was always so good with these things – she always knew exactly what to say in order to make him feel better. She was a lot like Elphaba that way, he realised sadly. She had stayed at Adurin Iir with the twins, though, and so he couldn't even talk to her. He was on his own.

What if Elphaba was really gone? The thought just kept playing through his head, and he didn't seem able to stop it. What if Frex had really been telling the truth? What would he do?

In all the time he had been with Elphaba at Shiz, he had never even imagined that their future would be any different from what he was always picturing in his head. In his mind, they were going to graduate Shiz, he was going to propose to her, and they would get married and raise a family. That was it. That was the only way it could go.

After the whole deal with Elphaba's arranged marriage to Odron, he had altered his expectations… but not much. He had just been so happy and so grateful to have her back and he had sworn to himself that he would never let her go ever again. So maybe things had been postponed. Maybe starting a family would come _before _the wedding, instead of the other way around. He could live with that. The important thing was that they would be together and they were going to live happily ever after. It was as simple as that.

Never, not even in his worst nightmares, had he expected something like this to happen. Never in all their time together had he imagined that maybe, just maybe, they weren't going to get a happily ever after at all. That bad things would happen. That they weren't going to make it. That Elphaba would die.

That he would have to raise their two beautiful daughters all by himself.

He only realised he was crying when his tears dripped down onto the comforter of the bed, and he sniffled and buried his face in the pillow to stifle his sobs. He couldn't do this. If she was really gone… how could he possibly do this? How could he go on without her? He couldn't. She meant everything to him. Everything. She was his whole life.

"Fiyero?"

He didn't look up, but he heard shuffling footsteps coming towards him. Someone sat down on the bed and he felt a small hand on his back, rubbing it up and down in an attempt to comfort him.

"I'm sorry," said Galinda in a small voice. "I shouldn't have said that… you're right, Fiyero. You're right. I'm just… trying to make myself believe that Frex is lying, because…" She tried to muffle a sob, but failed. "Because I… I just couldn't bear it if…" She trailed off and hugged Fiyero from behind, pressing her cheek against his back. "I'm sorry," she whispered again.

He looked up and her heart broke when she saw his tear-stained face and the terrified and devastated look in his eyes. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly and allowing him to cry into her shoulders, ignoring the silent tears that were streaming down her own face for the time being.

* * *

><p>"Stay low," Hamold whispered, using his younger years as a hunter to keep hidden. "Stay low and don't let him see you."<p>

"What do you want us to do, Your Majesty?" one of the guards asked him softly.

Hamold shook his head. "Nothing yet," he said, watching the governor's mansion from the bushes across the street. The lights were on and they could distinctly see Frex moving through some of the rooms. They watched him as he talked to Nessarose for a long while and as the wheelchair-bound girl was taken upstairs by a woman, presumably to be helped to bed. They watched Frex as he stayed in the sitting room for another while, staring into the fire, lost in thought. Then the governor suddenly rose to his feet and moved into the hallway. Minutes later, he came out of the front door, wearing a coat and a hat. He walked down the path and made a right turn on the street.

"Follow him," Hamold ordered in a sharp whisper. "Go. Don't lose him, no matter the cost."

The guards followed Frex, stealthily moving through the bushes in complete silence as they tracked the governor, the king keeping up with them. Frexspar soon disappeared into the cornfields nearby and the Vinkun guards went after him. Hamold narrowed his eyes, confused as to where Frex was headed. What was out here?

His answer came a few minutes later, when Frex stopped walking, looked around him suspiciously for a moment, and then opened a trapdoor covered in a layer of sand between the corn, disappearing in it. Hamold couldn't see everything perfectly, but a few royal guards soon found him and updated him on what they had seen from closer by.

"It seems," one of them said, "that there is some sort of basement underneath these cornfield. From what I could see, there was a hallway of sorts with a door leading to another room. The whole thing doesn't appear to be very big and it's not very deep, either – a couple of metres under the ground at most."

Hamold stilled at that, remembering Frex's words.

"_Safely tucked away a few metres under the ground."_

"Sweet mother of Oz," he muttered, staring at the place where Frex had disappeared incredulously. A few metres under the ground…

"That bastard was telling the truth after all."

* * *

><p>"You!"<p>

Elphaba winced – the best she could whilst still tied to a chair, anyway – as the door was suddenly thrown open and Frex appeared, eyes flaring as Lerin and Uro moved past him and towards Elphaba. They stood as Frex slammed the door shut and stalked over to his daughter, bringing his face very close to hers.

"You left them a note," he hissed. "You betrayed me. You wrote my name on the back of that note!"

She kept silent.

He shook her roughly, making her teeth clatter. "You filthy whore!" he roared at her. "When will you ever stop ruining my life?!"

She collected as much saliva in her mouth as she could and spat it into his face.

He wiped his face angrily, whirling around and pacing up and down the room. Then he stopped and looked at Lerin and Uro.

"Punish her."

Before she could even ask what that meant, Lerin had already slapped her hard across the face and Uro had buried his fingers in her hair, yanking her head back so that she was looking up at Frex.

"Do you want me to go back," he growled, "and take one of your daughters instead? Is that what you want?"

Her eyes flashed. "You stay away from my daughters."

"I've gotten to them before," he snarled. "I can do it again."

She stared back at him defiantly. He growled and turned around, moving back to the door.

"Teach her a lesson," he ordered the two men over his shoulder before leaving.

Uro grinned at Elphaba, leaning over her, his stinky breath wafting over her face and his fingers digging into her skin. "Did you hear that? We're supposed to teach you a lesson." He licked his lips and eyed her hungrily. "Now I'm pretty sure this isn't what he had in mind, but who cares? It'll be a lesson, alright." He laughed at his own joke and brought his face very close to hers, their lips almost touching. "I know you want this as much as I do."

"In your dreams," she hissed.

He moved to kiss her. She pulled her head back and then slammed it hard against his, causing him to break away with a yelp.

Lerin was cracking up with laughter. "I thought you were smarter than that," he chuckled, shaking his head. "Stay away from her head, dude. It's dangerous."

"Oh, she's a feisty one, isn't she?" Uro slapped her, so hard she lost her balance and toppled to the floor, chair and all. Within the blink of an eye, Uro was on top of her, holding her down with one hand as he brushed her hair away from her face with the other.

"I like my girls with a little spunk," he informed her, cupping her face. She turned her head and tried to bite him, but he pulled his hand away just in time. "Ah-ah. Be nice."

She struggled to break free, but the chair she was tied to and Uro's weight on her were both hindering her and she could barely move, let alone escape. "Let me go!"

"No." Lerin sighed and looked at Uro. "Look, man, will you hurry up a little? Frex said to teach her a lesson, so teach her that lesson so that we can go home again."

"Never." Uro shook his head, an evil glint in his eyes as he looked back at Elphaba. "I'm going to take my time with this one."

She struggled again and Uro punched her. She gasped, her face stinging, and he glared at her. "Behave, you rotten vegetable," he sneered. "Don't make this any more unpleasant for yourself than it already will be."

Suddenly, the door swung open again and Elphaba tried to scramble away from it, convinced that it was Frex who had come back to… to do what, she wasn't sure. To punish her himself, maybe. To hurt her. To kill her. Whatever it was, she knew it wasn't good.

The person who came in, though, followed by a whole string of royal Vinkun guards, was the last one she had expected to see.


	21. Another opens wide

**AN: No, your eyes are not deceiving you - _another _update! I'm seriously on a roll here. Nearing the end always gives me more motivation :P. Plus, I really loved writing this chapter... *sing-song voice* Fiyeraba reunion, Fiyeraba reunion! My favourite thing to write ^_^.**

**I'mFlyingHighDefyingGravity: I'd totally let you impale Frex, but I sort of already promised him to Moreanswers24, who wants to scoop out his brains, stick him in tar and feed him to piranhas. Is that okay, too? I mean, she promised me Fiyero's in exchange, so... :P**

**Vinkunwildflowerqueen: Right ;).**

**Elphaba'sGirl: As you can see, it shall ^_^.**

**Elphabalover101: I hope you're happy, I hope you're happy now... :P**

**Only one more to go!**

**Although, for those who were disappointed that Elphaba wasn't separated from her family for a couple of years instead of days... let's just say at the current moment, I'm not excluding the idea of a sequel to this in which the whole Defying Gravity thing comes up. Maybe. I'm not sure yet.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 21. Another opens wide<strong>

"Hamold," she breathed, tears springing to her eyes out of relief, and the king caught sight of her. He immediately barked, "Seize them!", pointing at Lerin and Uro; and before Elphaba knew it, the Vinkun guards were all over the two men, grabbing them and dragging them away from the green girl. A few other guards quickly untied Elphaba, detaching her from the chair and helping her to her feet. She all but collapsed in Hamold's arms, sobbing with relief.

"Thank Oz," the king murmured, holding her tightly. He could feel how weak she was and her entire body was shaking. He wrapped an arm around her waist, supporting her. "Are you okay? Elphaba? What did they do to you?"

She shook her head, trying to speak, but her teeth were chattering too hard. "I… I'm fine," she managed eventually.

He eyed her up and down worriedly. "Really?"

She nodded, leaning heavily against him, shivering all over. "Y-yes. I'm okay. They… they didn't do anything bad." She touched her stinging cheek and winced a little at the pain. Hamold pushed some hair away from her face, only to reveal a nasty scrape wound on her temple, where she had hit the concrete floor when she had fallen down with the chair earlier.

"That's all," said Elphaba, hugging herself. "Just superficial wounds."

Hamold let out a breath he had been holding. "And they didn't hurt you in any other way?" he questioned her gently.

She shook her head and he wrapped his arms around her, squeezing softly as he supported her.

"Come on," he said, slowly leading her to the door. The guards were already taking Lerin and Uro outside and two of the remaining guards helped Hamold with Elphaba as they moved towards the door and into the small hallway. They lifted her out of the trapdoor and onto the ground. Her knees buckled and the guards had to keep a tight hold on her to keep her up.

"She can't walk like this," said Hamold when he, too, appeared above ground again and saw Elphaba. "We'll have to carry her back."

"I-I can w-walk," she protested weakly, but Hamold shook his head and put his arm around her shoulders.

"Elphaba," he said gently. "You've been through a lot these past days. Just let us take care of you for a little while now, okay? If not because I'm your father-in-law and I love you like a daughter, then at least because you're our crown princess and we need to make sure that you are, and will be, alright." He squeezed her shoulder. "Think of Luaxanna and Eleonora," he said. "Think of Galinda and Fiyero."

She did, and she did not protest as one of the guards took off his jacket and wrapped it around her. She also didn't say a word when another guard scooped her thin frame up in his arms and started carrying her back towards town, out of the dark, looming cornfields around them.

Hamold spoke briefly to some of the others guards. "Frex left earlier," he said, "so we could not catch him red-handed, but we all saw him coming out of that trapdoor and I'm sure those two guys of his would be willing to testify against him if we promise them a less severe punishment for their crimes. I want you to go to the governor's mansion and arrest Governor Frexspar Thropp of Munchkinland for the kidnapping of the Vinkun crown princess."

The guards saluted and left, and Hamold focused on the remaining three guards and his daughter-in-law again. Elphaba was still shivering, her teeth chattering and her lips looking blue; and Hamold sent another one of the guards off to go and fetch a doctor to check Elphaba over.

"Bring him back to the hotel," he told the guard. He smiled at Elphaba. "I think it's about time we reunite Princess Elphaba with her husband now."

Her eyes lit up at that, as Hamold had known they would, and the guard hurried off.

"Fiyero is here?" Elphaba asked the king softly as they kept going.

Hamold nodded. "Of course he's here," he said. "He would have run here all by himself if he had to. Galinda is here, too, by the way. The only reason Lori is not is because we did not want to bring the twins here and someone had to stay at home to take care of them."

Tears stung Elphaba's eyes at the thought of her baby girls and she asked in a choked voice, "Are they alright?"

Hamold squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. "They're perfectly fine," he assured her. "Don't worry about them. They're currently most likely being spoilt rotten by their grandmother."

Elphaba sniffled.

"And Frex won't be able to get to them – or you – anymore from now on," Hamold added. "He will be arrested and imprisoned for what he did to you; and even if he gets free in a few years, he will be banned from the Vinkus forever, I'll make sure of that."

Relief was visible in her eyes, but she still looked worried. "But Nessa…"

"We'll take care of everything," Hamold told her. "Don't worry, Elphaba, it will all be alright. We'll work things out. The most important thing now is that you're going home."

Home. She couldn't imagine a more wonderful word at the moment.

* * *

><p>"What are you looking at, Glin?" Fiyero murmured from his spot on the bed.<p>

Galinda quickly wiped her tears away and forced a smile onto her face as she turned to face the prince. "Oh, good, you're awake!" she said brightly. "Feeling any better?" Honestly, she had been relieved when he had finally cried himself to sleep. That was mostly because he had barely slept at all during the past few nights and he needed all the rest he could get; but also a little because it gave the blonde a little time to breathe and cry herself without Fiyero seeing it.

He rubbed his eyes and slumped back into the pillows with a sigh. "No," he said tiredly.

She smiled at him sympathetically and directed her attention back to the window.

"What are you looking at?" he asked her again. He didn't really sound curious; he sounded a little flat.

"Nothing," she said, not taking her eyes off the window. "Just watching out for your father. I figured he'd most likely come back here about any moment now."

"Maybe," said Fiyero, not convinced. "Though he could be out there for the rest of the night with his men, too. He does that sometimes. You know, when he really…" He swallowed difficultly. "…really cares about something they're doing…"

Galinda nodded, not needing him to say anything else. Fiyero closed his eyes again.

"Oh, look!" the blonde cried out after a while, startling Fiyero from the half-slumber he had sunken back into. "There he comes! Two guards are with him, too. And they're carrying something." She frowned. "What in Oz do they have there? Frex's dead body?" She giggled a little nervously. "They wouldn't, would they?"

"If they _had _killed him," Fiyero pointed out from the bed without even opening his eyes, "I hardly think they would drag him through the city streets like that."

Galinda let out another nervous giggle. "Right. So what _is _that?" She peered out of the window. "Oz, it's so dark outside, I can barely see a thing," she complained. "All I can see is darkness – it's just a weird shape they're carrying of black and grey and a flash of…" Her eyes widened as her brain finished that thought for her. "…green…"

Fiyero shot up. "Huh?"

Galinda looked closer. "Oh my Oz," she whispered. Then she started screeching. "Oh my _Oz_!"

With that, she fled the room, nearly falling over her own feet as she flew down the stairs and into the lobby of the hotel.

The moment she arrived, the doors opened and a Vinkun guard came in. He held the door open for King Hamold, who was closely followed by another guard – the one that had been carrying the weird shape.

Galinda held her breath, her eyes filling with tears. "Elphie?"

Elphaba raised her head from where it had dropped against the guard's shoulder and smiled tiredly. She gave a small wave. "Hi, Glin."

Immediately, the blonde let out an ear-piercing shriek and quite literally leapt onto the guard, who only barely managed to keep his balance with now not one, but two girls in his arms. He carefully put Elphaba down on her feet and Galinda instantly wrapped both her arms around her best friend, laughing and crying at the same time. "_Elphie_! You're alive! You're back!" She pulled away, keeping a hold of Elphaba's hands as she studied her friend critically. "Are you okay? Elphie? Please tell me you're okay, I don't even want to know what that creep of a Frex did to you, and…"

"I'm okay," Elphaba reassured her with a watery smile. "Really."

Galinda squealed and hugged the green girl again. "Oh, thank Oz!"

Hamold, who had been watching the two best friends reunite with a smile on his face, now looked at the first landing the flight of stairs in the corner led to. He knew his son must have heard _something _of all this, even if Galinda hadn't immediately alerted him to Elphaba's arrival.

Sure enough, a clock-tick later the dishevelled form of a certain Vinkun prince appeared on the landing, quickly taking in the scene before him. He froze immediately.

"Elphaba," Hamold said softly, and she looked up from the blonde that had been clinging to her almost desperately.

Hamold nodded at his son and Elphaba followed his gaze. She slowly detached herself from Galinda and tentatively took a few steps towards the stairs, her legs nearly giving out underneath her, but not quite.

That seemed to spur Fiyero into action, because he suddenly started moving as well, hurrying down the stairs and across the lobby to where Elphaba was still painfully slowly walking towards him. When he reached her, she stopped, unsure of what to say or do.

Fiyero didn't have that problem, however. He immediately folded her in his arms, holding her so tightly he nearly crushed the breath out of her, but she didn't care. She started crying.

"I'm sorry," she hiccupped, burying her face in his shoulder, her own shoulders shaking as she cried. "I'm so sorry I left you!"

"Fae!" Fiyero pulled away to look at her. He tenderly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"It wasn't your choice," he said urgently, "and I'm sorry I thought for even a clock-tick that it was. None of this was your fault, Fae." He crushed her to his chest again, burying his face in her hair and then bursting into tears himself.

Galinda shifted a bit awkwardly. "Um… maybe we should give them some privacy?" she suggested. She noticed that both of the guards had already politely turned away from their crown prince and princess in an attempt to not be intrusive in what was obviously a private moment.

"Maybe," Hamold acknowledged. "But then again, the doctor could be here any moment, and then we'd have to separate them again, anyway. We'll give them some time alone afterwards."

Galinda nodded.

As if on cue, the door to the hotel lobby opened again and the guard who had gone to fetch the doctor came in, closely followed by a middle-aged man with greying brown hair.

"Fiyero?" Hamold placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "The doctor is here."

"What?" Fiyero looked up with a start, though he never let go of his wife. Panic flashed in his blue eyes. "Doctor? What for?" He started frantically searching Elphaba for any injuries, sucking in his breath sharply when he discovered the scrape wound on her temple. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you? What happened?"

"Fiyero, calm down," said Hamold sternly. "She's alright. No major injuries. I just want her checked over by a doctor to be sure."

"Oh. Okay." Fiyero didn't look reassured, though.

"Let's take her upstairs," the doctor suggested as he approached the pair, "so that I can check her over. It won't take long, don't worry."

Fiyero nodded and lifted Elphaba up in his arms, cradling her to him as he followed his father upstairs, with Galinda and the doctor trailing behind them. The guards stayed in the lobby.

As promised, the doctor's examination did not take very long; and his conclusion was that, even though Elphaba was showing early signs of dehydration, physically she seemed to be doing alright.

"She's just exhausted," he explained to Fiyero and Hamold. "If you get her to eat and drink something and have her take a few days to rest, she will be perfectly fine. I cleaned the wound on her temple, but she has no serious injuries otherwise. The only thing I was worried about is her emotional state, but quite frankly, she seems to be doing fine regarding that as well. She's a little shaken, of course, but I expect her to be back to her old self again in no time." He patted Fiyero's arm. "Don't worry, Your Highness."

"Is it alright if we take her back to the Vinkus with us?" asked Hamold.

The doctor nodded. "Sure, no problem."

Hamold looked at his son. "You, Galinda and Elphaba will leave in the morning," he informed Fiyero. "I will stay here to keep an eye on Frex' trial, but I'm sure there won't be any problem. Not when it's the king of the Vinkus filing the charge. Tell your mother I'll be back within a week or so."

Fiyero nodded and the king turned back to face the doctor, thanking him and walking him out. Fiyero went back into the room, where Galinda was sitting on the arm of Elphaba's chair, keeping the green girl company.

When she saw Fiyero come in, she hopped off the chair. "I'm gonna go now," she said. "Elphie asked me to go and check up on Nessa for her, which I will do; and I'll bring back some food from town. Can I get you guys anything? Dinner, maybe?"

"That'd be great, thanks, Glin," said Fiyero gratefully.

She smiled at him and bounded out of the room, carefully closing the door behind her.

Fiyero looked at Elphaba, just breathing in her presence for a few moments. Just a few hours ago, he had been convinced that he would never see her again.

She looked back at him and pushed herself to her feet. "Yero –"

"No, don't." He shook his head, closing the distance between them and drawing her into his arms, studying her face. "Don't apologise," he said. "In fact, don't say anything at all. Just let me look at you for a moment."

She sighed. "You are such an idiot."

He frowned. "I thought you were dead!"

"What?" She blinked, taken aback by that. "Why?"

"Because when we saw Frex, he said…" Fiyero closed his eyes for a moment and swallowed. "He said… no, he _swore_, on your mother's grave… that he had put you a few metres under the ground." He shrugged half-heartedly. "We all assumed that…" He trailed off, unable to finish that sentence.

"Oh, Yero…" Elphaba buried her face in his neck. "I'm sorry. I –"

"No, don't apologise. You didn't know. You couldn't know." He took a deep breath. "How were we supposed to know that he meant that he had put you in a basement under the ground somewhere?" He shook his head.

"He's smart," said Elphaba softly, her head still on her husband's shoulder. "He knows how to manipulate people."

They stood like that in silence for a long while, just holding one another.

Then Fiyero pulled away to look at her.

"Come on," he said. "I'm going to take you to bed, so that you can sleep a little. Galinda is bringing back dinner – you'll probably feel better after eating something… and then tomorrow morning, we're going to go back home, Fae." He ran his fingers through her long, black hair. "We're going to go home, to my mum, and the twins… they really missed you, you know," he added, and Elphaba's eyes sparkled with tears.

"They did?"

He kissed her softly. "So did I."

She clung to him and he carried her over to the bed, stroking her hair and wiping the tears from her cheeks until she had cried herself to sleep.


	22. The beauty of goodbye

**AN: This is it, guys. The very final chapter of this story.**

**Virtual dessert of your choice (*cough*PIE*cough*) for The Wizard Of Wicked for being the 300th reviewer on this story! I loved your speech so much that I'm going to publish it in the AN at the end of this chapter! :)**

**I ended it with a flashback... because you all seemed to love those so much, and personally I like the way I used it to end the story now.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 22. The beauty of goodbye<strong>

"Leave?" Galinda stared at the green girl, her eyes wide and filled with disbelief and slight panic. "What do you mean, you're going to leave?"

"Well…" Elphaba shrugged lightly. "Fiyero was right," she said. "The thing is… having him, and the girls… it's amazing. And it's enough. Of course it's enough. But still I can't help being _me_, you know? And you know me – I'm just too restless to sit still for a very long time." She looked at her best friend. "Hamold got me a job in the _palace_, Glin," she said, trying to make Galinda understand. "I can work for the _Wizard_. And I'll be able to live in the Emerald City! That's been my dream ever since I was a little girl!"

"I know, Elphie, I know!" Galinda shook her head. "But you just said Fiyero and the girls are enough for you!" she said, almost pleadingly. "How can you leave them just like that?"

Elphaba looked startled. "Wait. What?" she said, confused, but Galinda just rambled on.

"I understand your desire to do something useful and to make a difference, I really do, and I think you would be great, working for the Wizard – you'll be the best employee he's ever had! – but I just don't think it's fair to Fiyero that after everything you've been through together, you're just going to leave him alone with the girls – you know I love him, Elphie, but I really don't think he's very capable of taking care of two little girls all by himself – they need their mother! And Fiyero needs his wife, Elphie, you know that! You can't just –"

"Glin," Elphaba interrupted her.

The blonde blinked at her. "What?"

"What in Oz are you talking about?" Elphaba asked slowly.

Galinda blinked again. "About you leaving your family to go to the Emerald City, of course!" she exclaimed in exasperation.

It finally dawned on Elphaba. "You thought I was going to _leave them_?!"

Galinda stared at her. "Aren't you?"

"Of course not!" Elphaba shook her head wildly. "Are you crazy? I wouldn't leave them – ever! You know that! They're coming with me, of course."

Now Galinda looked confused. "Huh?"

"Fiyero and I talked about it," said Elphaba. "And we agreed that maybe, before we take up our duties here in the Vinkus, we should take some time for ourselves. So we're moving to the Emerald City – Fiyero, the girls and I – for at least a couple of years. Fiyero can get to work in the Gale Force there and like I said, Hamold got me a job as well… I think we need that. Just to get away from everything and everyone and spend time together as a family, you know?" She smiled. "Hamold and Lori thought it was a good idea, too."

"It is," Galinda admitted, looking down. "I just…" She sighed. "I'll miss you."

"Well…" Elphaba said mysteriously, making the blonde look up.

"Well, what?" she demanded.

Elphaba grinned at her. "How do you feel about accompanying us?"

Galinda's eyes widened.

"Hamold found another free spot in the palace," Elphaba explained. "You could come with us and work at the palace with me. All you have to do is say yes."

Galinda held her breath. "Really?"

Elphaba nodded, still smiling, and Galinda suddenly burst into ear-piercing squeals. She leapt at her friend and threw her arms around the green girl, hugging her tightly.

"Oh, Elphie, that is amazing!" she gushed. "I'd love that! Of course I'll come!"

"Good." Elphaba swatted at the blonde's arm. "Can I breathe again now, then?"

"Oops." Galinda quickly let go and giggled. "Sorry, Elphie."

A soft cry came from the nursery and before Galinda could so much as blink, Elphaba had leapt to her feet and into the adjoining room faster than Galinda had ever seen someone move. When the green girl came back with Luaxanna on her arm, Galinda could see the faint relief in her face, and she smiled sympathetically.

"You just can't get yourself to relax again, can you?"

Elphaba shook her head. "How could I?" she asked softly, sinking back down onto the couch as she let Luanna play with her fingers. "He got in here once before. And I know, I _know_, that he's in prison and he can't get to them – or me – anymore… but it's just not that simple, Glin."

Galinda squeezed her friend's hand. "I know."

Fiyero poked his head around the door, smiling when he saw them. "There you are." He came into the room and plucked his daughter out of Elphaba's hands, twirling around with her and letting her hover in the air, making her giggle. He plonked onto the couch next to his wife, kissing her cheek and setting Luanna down in his lap.

Just then, there was another sound from the nursery; and again, Elphaba was gone faster than Galinda could say 'baby'.

The blonde looked in the direction her friend had disappeared in with a slightly worried look. "That was even faster than with Luanna two minutes ago."

Fiyero sighed and rubbed his face with his free hand. "I know. I think she just needs time." He looked down at Luanna and made a face at her. She laughed.

"She's just… really on edge," Fiyero said, looking at Galinda again. "Ever since she got back, she barely slept. Every noise wakes her up. One sound from the girls and she fears Frex has found his way into the nursery to kidnap them. Yesterday I forgot to tell her about a meeting I had with my father; and when she couldn't find me anywhere, she completely panicked. My mum says she's never seen her like this before." He sighed. "As if she hasn't been through enough already."

Galinda stroked Luanna's hair. "Poor Elphie."

"I hope she'll get better once we get to the Emerald City," Fiyero muttered, then looked up at Galinda in mild alarm. "She did tell you about that, didn't she?"

"She did," the blonde reassured him. She smiled widely at him. "And I'd love to come with you."

"Great." Fiyero grinned at her. "That will be good for her, too."

"She'll be fine," Galinda agreed, just as Elphaba re-emerged from the nursery with Neorah.

"It's going to be such a great adventure," Galinda mused, looking at her friends. "The _Emerald City_!"

Elphaba smiled. "I know!"

The blonde tickled Neorah with one hand and Luanna with the other, giggling when they both started squirming. "It's going to be amazing, Elphie." She threw her arms around her best friend and hugged her. "It's a really great idea." Then she got up to kiss Fiyero's cheek before she started bouncing around the room.

"We're going to the Emerald City!"

* * *

><p>That night, when Elphaba was getting ready for dinner, Fiyero walked into the room.<p>

He stood still and just looked at her for a moment. She was sitting at the vanity, brushing her long, black hair; and she caught Fiyero's gaze in the mirror.

She smiled and turned around. "Hey."

"Hey," he replied, coming further into the room and leaning down to kiss her softly. "How are you?"

"Fine," she said, putting the brush down.

Fiyero shook his head. "Of course you are."

She chuckled softly. She got up and started rummaging through her clothes, looking for a dress to wear.

Fiyero followed her and pulled out a deep red dress. "Wear this one."

She gave him a suspicious look.

"Just do it," he said with a grin, pushing the dress into her arms. "Trust me."

"Never," she called over her shoulder as she quickly changed into the red dress. She took out a pair of slippers to wear with it and made to tie up her hair, but Fiyero stopped her.

"Leave it."

"Fiyero, it's just dinner," she sighed. "We have dinner every night. Why do I have to dress up?"

"Because," he said, smiling mysteriously. "We're not just going to have dinner like we do every night."

She cast one glance of him and her shoulder slumped. "You planned something."

"Don't sound so disappointed," Fiyero teased her. "My plans aren't that horrible, are they?"

"I suppose not." She left her hair to hang loosely down her back and turned around again to face him. "What are we going to do?"

"Nothing extreme," he replied, taking her hand and pulling her out of the room. He took her downstairs, to one of the smaller dining rooms, where a table was set for two – complete with candles and rose petals.

"I figured since our wedding day got cut short," Fiyero explained, drawing her closer, "I wanted to make up for it. No big parties or elaborate schemes, I promise. Just a quiet night together. Okay?"

She smiled and leant up to kiss him. "It's perfect, Yero."

And it was. As they had dinner together, Fiyero asked her the questions he had been afraid to ask her before – how had Frex managed to kidnap her from the castle? What exactly had he done to her? – and she answered them honestly. They talked about the Emerald City and their future, but also about the past: their time together at Shiz, her marriage to Odron, her attempt to kill herself, everything.

After dinner, Elphaba dragged Fiyero over to the library, where he sat down in the window seat and she curled up in his lap with a book.

"You know," he complained, "this wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I said we'd have a quiet night _together_."

"We _are _together," said Elphaba without even looking up from her book.

He grumbled good-naturedly. "This is just like Shiz, you know that? You reading and me just sitting there…"

"If I recall correctly, you said back then that you loved watching me read."

"I do," he admitted. He ran his fingers through her hair. "Fine, then. You read."

She pecked his cheek and returned to her book, but of course he wasn't planning on letting her off the hook so easily. He started trailing his fingers down her spine, smiling wickedly when he felt her shiver. Then he ran his fingers through her hair again and started stroking her side.

She squirmed. "Fiyero!"

"What?" he asked innocently. "Am I distracting you?"

She glared at him, writhing again when he continued to touch her side. "Stop that!"

"Ooh, we're ticklish, aren't we?" He smirked and started tickling her. She gasped and tried to get away from him, but he kept a firm hold on her.

"Okay, okay!" she cried. "You win!"

He stopped tickling, grinning as she put her book away and settled down in his lap again, grumbling under her breath. "Happy now?"

"Very," he said, kissing her neck. "I prefer not having to share you with books."

She rolled her eyes. "You could have picked up a book yourself."

"What's the fun in that?" He rested his chin on her shoulder, touching their temples together. "Do you remember when you were in labour and you were constantly walking around here?"

"It calmed me down," she said, shrugging. "Books always calm me down."

"They already did when we were still at Shiz." He trailed his fingers down her arm, lost in thought. "You've come a long way since then," he observed.

She shrugged again. "So have you," she said. "We all have."

"It was good, back then," he mused. "_We _were good."

"We were," she agreed, turning around in his lap. "But you know what?" She leant her forehead against his, looking into his sapphire blue eyes. "We're going to be even better."

He smiled and kissed her.

When they returned to their bedroom, Fiyero stopped his wife from walking in. "Wait."

She looked at him questioningly and he gave her a lopsided grin, then scooped her up in his arms without warning.

"I didn't get to do this on our wedding day," he explained to her when he saw her puzzled look. She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling as he carried her over the threshold and gently put her back down on her feet. He slipped his arms around her, looking deep into her eyes.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Tiggular."

* * *

><p>"<em>Yero?"<em>

"_Hmm?"_

_Elphaba stopped walking and turned around to look at him. "What if this ends?"_

"_What? Us?" He laughed. "Don't be ridiculous."_

_She frowned. "I'm not," she said defensively. "I'm just wondering what is going to happen to us."_

_Fiyero shook his head and took both of her hands in his own, squeezing them._

"_We, Fae," he said, "you and I… we are going to be together forever."_

_He wrapped his arms around her from behind and they looked out over Suicide Canal together, the sun illuminating their surroundings._

"_We're going to get married," he whispered in her ear, "and we're going to have children. Perfect children, with my hair and your beautiful brown eyes. They're going to dance through life and love to party, but they'll also be smart and eager to learn new things. They'll be the perfect blend of us. And we," he entwined their fingers together and kissed hers, "we are going to raise them together and grow old together, and we're going to be happy."_

_She turned around in his arms to look at him. "Promise?"_

_He smiled. "Promise." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and leant in to kiss her forehead. _

"_I'm never letting you go."_

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you all liked that ending. A sequel is not guaranteed, but we shall see how it goes.<strong>

**Thank you all so much for reviewing, following, favouriting, and just reading, this story! You have no idea how much it means to me.**

**Until next time! (_Here we stand _will probably be updated soon.**

**Maddy**

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><p><strong>THE SPEECH<strong>

_**By lucky reviewer #300,**_

_**The Wizard Of Wicked**_

**"When I first read 'Everything' these were my thoughts: "oh my Oz she killed Fiyero off, made elphaba pregnant, oh Oz this is all so depressing.' Because I recall being utterly upset at the world at the time I did read that terribly sad first chapter. Then I wanted to smack myself during chapter two. Very clever what you did there. And when I read this of chapter 21, "We'll take care of everything" I was thinking 'this story went from worrying about Everything to Everything turning out okay' and that just was so deep like 'whoa' and sadly only one more chapter to go but you know what, I know that sometime soon there will be another Ozmazifying story that you'll write that I'll be happy to be the 300th reviewer for again :) **

**Thanks for, well, Everything,**

The Wizard Of Wicked."


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